Unexpected
by Because-They-Make-Me
Summary: Prequel to Coming Home. Konoha has given birth to some of the greatest shinobi the world has every seen. Mouki Soi is no different. This powerful kunoichi had everything she every wanted until the people she trusted most destroyed her. KakashixOC
1. Prologue

AN: Just to make this clear, this story is the prequel to Coming Home (.net/s/7392077/1/Coming_Home). I highly recommend that you read Coming Home first.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Prologue

Susaka Naomi was the most popular florist in all of Iwagakure. She owned her own flower shop at the heart of the large shinobi village. Although there were a few flower shops in the village, Susaka Flowers was the go to place. She was also the most beautiful woman in the village. Her ivory colored skin compliment her dark brown eyes and her extremely dark, curly hair. She was always soft spoken and known to give to charity. And although she was not a shinobi by any sense of the word, she was a force to be recon with. Any bad mouthing, no matter what the issue, was not tolerated in presence.

Mouki Tadashi, the head of the Mouki clan, was said to be the second most powerful man in Iwagakure. The kekkei genkai that the Mouki clan possessed made Iwagakure one of the go to villages on infiltration and assassination missions. This deadly family was known for being quick and precise with their actions, their kill streak and accomplished mission records were higher than any other clan in Iwa. With the lightest of touches, anything that collided with a Mouki's skin would crumble before them. Be it a piece of paper or the side of a building, it would turn to rubble in a matter of moments.

Tadashi and Naomi's love was as if it came from a storybook. The clan head walked into the florists store one day out of sheer boredom. The stress from being the newly appointed head had gotten the better of him, so he decided to take the afternoon off. As he walked aimlessly down the streets of Iwa, the intoxicating smell of lavender caught his attention. Not to far from him was the entrance to the most popular flower shop in the village. He had never been in it, but he had heard a lot about it.

Since he had nothing better to do, he went in. The bright colors and smells relaxed him instantly. It was if he had stepped into a new world. His eyes scanned the large store, searching for nothing in particular. It wasn't until his eyes landed on the most beautiful flower he had ever seen that his world stopped.

Naomi was leaning against the check out counter, filling out some papers. Her curls were pulled back into a pony-tail, but few strands stuck out here and there. Stuck in her hair was a bright red flower. Tadashi didn't know or care what kind of flower it was, but it instantly became his favorite when he saw it on her.

"Excuse me," he said as he walked up to the counter. Naomi instantly gave him his attention, forgetting her work. Although she wasn't part of the shinobi world, she knew the man before he was. Standing just a few feet before her, in her store, was the man who took out an entire ANBU team for an enemy village by himself. The man who was in the running to become the next head administrator for ANBU, but dropped out due to family reasons. This man, who she had never thought she would meet, was speaking with her. "What kind of flower is that," he asked as he pointed to the flower in her hair.

Naomi took the flower out of her hair and examined it. "This is a…um…an Amaryllis," she said, completely flustered. Why she was so anxious, she didn't know. She had never talked to the man before, but something about him was giving her butterflies.

Tadashi loved the rose colored tint on the girl's face. He had been around many girls and, in is youth, had many girlfriends, but there something about the woman in front of him that made his heart race. It all seemed strange to him. How he could live his entire life in Iwa and have never seen her? How could he have never talked to her?

Almost a full year later, Tadashi and Naomi were married. The people who knew them best thought that they were moving too fast, but that didn't stop the two young lovers. But for every positive, there is a negative. To every Yin, there is a Yang. Tadashi seemed to be the opposite of his wife in every way. His 6'2'' mocha colored frame towered over his small ivory wife. Where Naomi was always kind and gentle, Tadashi often used force. Tadashi found that being rough with his teammates, along with his family, was the proper way to handle things and if things didn't go his way, then nothing worked out for anyone.

Even though Tadashi loved all five of his children, Adatta was his claim to fame. He was the golden boy in the family. Not to say that his parents did not love his four younger siblings, but it is safe to say that Adatta was favored. Adatta graduated from the ninja academe two years ahead of schedule because he was more of a quick learner than the other students. If he wasn't learning in school, he was either training with his father or studying, all of which were his father's doing. Naomi tried to give the boy freedom, but Tadashi always took it away. "He's never going to be a great ninja if you always coddle him."

"But he's going to grow up hating us if you continue to push him so hard." This argument wasn't new to Adatta and his siblings. The children would often go to sleep to the sounds of their parents arguing, but things had gotten worse after Osamu died.

Osamu was Naomi and Tadashi's third child and the only other boy. At the age of six a very serious illness struck him. None of the doctors in Iwagakure could help him, so Tadashi went so far as to ask Konoha for help. Even though Konoha and Iwa were not the greatest of terms, Konoha sent their world famous medical-ninja to Iwa. However, the blond kunoichi did not make it in time. The little boy died three hours before the woman arrived.

Naomi's flower shopped closed for a month after her son's death, but flower filled the halls of her house. Friends and family sent the grieving couple flowers and pre-cooked food to them through their troubles. While Naomi stayed home with her four remaining children, Tadashi took every mission opportunity he could get. He couldn't bring himself to go back to that house. To have to walk past the room that once belonged to his son. During his time away, Tadashi missed more in his family's life than he could imagine.

Adatta went to Konoha to take the Chunin Exam's and passed with flying colors. While he was there, he begged Tsunade to take him under her wing and train him to be the best medical-nin he could be. After much deliberation and paper work, the boy became Tsunade's first medical student.

/\/\

Catsuko Gina was a social butterfly of Konoha. She enjoyed meeting new people and trying new things. Gina, along with almost every member of her family, did not attend the ninja academy, but studied accounting instead. When she wasn't in school she was either studying, hanging out with her friends, or at home with her large family.

The Catsuko family was said to be the closest and kindest family in Konoha. Many people thought they went out of their way to be nice to people, but those who knew them best knew that, that was just how the family operated. Everyone within the family was head strong, forward, and caring. Sarcasm was the family's primary language, which often made people wonder if anything they said was true or not, but when push came to shove the Catsuko's always pushed through.

On the edge of town, opposite of the Uchiha clan compound, stood a three-story mansion. The Catsuko's were not rich by any stretch of the word, but since they all lived in one house, they decided to build the biggest house they could. The house was broken up into section, housing each sub group of the family. Mornings often started to the smell of breakfast wafting through the air. Umeko, the resident cook and Gina's aunt, always cooked breakfast for the family. Sometimes, if the got up early enough, Gina or her aunt Kayo, who happed to be three years younger than her, would cook breakfast instead.

To outsiders, the Catsuko family was a strange bunch. Not only were they exceedingly kind and overly sarcastic, none of their ages seemed right. What many people didn't know was that there was an illness floating around the women of the Catsuko family. Many of them found it hard to get pregnant, which is why the age gap was so confusing. Bunko, Gina's mother, is the second child out of four girls. Gina's grandmother, Nonra, had her youngest child at fifty-six and the oldest at twenty-three. Needless to say that Kayo, the youngest aunt, was a miracle baby. Not only was Nonra too old to have children, but also she wasn't supposed to have any more after her third.

Out of her two sisters, Gina was the shining start. Her mother would never favor one child over the other, but she did have less to worry about with Gina. Willa, Gina's older sister, was over obsessed with herself. If all of the attention wasn't on her, then she started acting prissy. Chiasa, the younger sister, was the village troublemaker. She always back talked to her mother and would cause a ruckus around the village. Her troublesome talents would've been put to better use if she had attended the ninja academe.

Being the socialite that she was, Gina was prone to getting asked out a lot. Sometimes by people she didn't even know, but Gina was a smart girl. She never did anything she didn't feel comfortable with and never dated anyone she didn't feel a connection to. The small blond was definitely a girl to hold on to.

One day, completely out of the blue, her cousin Jiro introduced her to a young stranger. The unnamed man had to most beautiful tinted complexion she ever saw and those beautiful brown eyes of his sucked her in. "Gina, this is Adatta. Adatta, this is the one I was telling you about."

"Telling him what," Gina asked as she eyed her cousin suspiciously.

"Nothing bad, I promise." His hands shot up in a defensive manner as he took half a step back. "No need to explode." Now he was just poking fun at her. The girl rarely exploded in anger, but she always did have a way to extract information from others that wasn't pleasant.

"It's nice to meet you," Adatta said as he extended his hand to her.

"You too," she replied as she shook his hand.

For the next several months Adatta and Gina grew closer. It started off with having lunch a few times a week to being completely inseparable. The Catsuko's opened their arms lovingly to Adatta and treated him like their own. On her eighteenth birthday, Adatta took her to the Land of the Moon to celebrate. That was the first time Gina had ever been outside of Konoha. "This place is amazing," she said as she took in all the new sights and sounds.

"I'm happy you like it," the young medic whispered as he watched the beautiful girl beside him marvel at all the new sights before her.

Over the next few months Gina started feeling strange. She often felt fatigued and went to bed early. Her back and head would often hurt and sometimes she'd throw up. She didn't tell her mother at first, figuring that it was just a cold and would go away, but when the symptoms continued she went to the doctor.

One night, while the rest of the house was asleep, the young blond silently crept into her mother's room. Bunko was lying under her covers reading a book. "What's wrong, baby," she asked as she looked over at her daughter. Gina fell to the floor in tears, not know if she should run away or stay and shame her family. Bunko jumped out of the bed and knelt down next to her child. "What's wrong, honey? Tell me what to do."

"M-mom…I don't k-know what to do…"

/\/\

Tadashi did not take the news well when his son told him what had happened. "How do you know it's even yours," he barked. "It could be anyone's."

"Tadashi," Naomi scolded her husband. "For once in your life, just shut up." Naomi's out of character comment caught Adatta off guard. "We just need to be calm and think this through."

"What is there to think about? Tell her to get rid of it."

"That's your grandchild, Tadashi. How can you say that?"

"The boy is eighteen years old. He's not old enough to take care of a kid and I'm not raising any more."

"I'm not asking you to," Adatta finally spoke up. "I just told you because I thought you had the right to know."

"Why would you even bother coming back here? Everything you've worked for is gone now. You're a failure."

"Tadashi!" Naomi's face grew red. "How dare you!"

Adatta's hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. He knew better than to touch anything when he got this angry. "At least my child wont be subjugated to a tyrannical rule. I'll let it do what it wants, study what it wants, and live the life it wants."

"That kid is going to grow up to be a failure too." In the blink of an eye Adatta's fist collided with his father's face.

Tadashi stammered back as Naomi moved between them. "Both of you need to calm down."

"Forget this, I'm leaving." Naomi called after her son, but he ignored her cried. The cool night air clung to his skin as he ran through the front gates of Iwagakure and back to Konoha. "You're not going to be a failure," he whispered into the night air.


	2. Firsts

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 1 – Firsts

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes, mom," the little girl said with annoyance. She rolled her dark brown eyes at her mother.

"Are you sure? Pencils? Paper? Your-"

"I got it, mom. I'm not a little kid anymore."

Gina tried to hide her smile, but failed miserably. Her child was as snippy as her Aunt Chiasa. Soi was in deed a little kid, but she didn't see herself that way. "Ok, ok. I just want you're first day to be perfect. Now, come get a picture with us."

"Mom," the little girl whined, as if taking a picture was the worst thing that could ever happen to her.

"Stop being a drama queen," Chiasa said as she handed her camera to a passer by. Gina, Adatta, Bunko, Chiasa, and little Soi were standing just outside the ninja academe. Today was Soi's first day of school and the girl was pumped up. Even though school had yet to start, Adatta knew that she was going to be at the top of her class. Adatta had been training her during their time together and he found out that she was a quick study. She was a fast runner, a great problem solver, and her aim wasn't half bad.

"You're one to talk," Bunko said as she positioned herself between her children. Chiasa had been one hell of a mouth child in her younger days, so she didn't have much room to preach.

The Catsuko and Mouki family smiled up at the stranger as he took the picture. "Thank you," Chiasa said as she took back her camera. Soi's favorite aunt bent down and hugged the little girl tightly. "Have a great first day. I want to hear all about it tonight."

"Ok," the small girl replied as she pulled away and moved to hug her grandmother.

"You be good and listen to your teachers."

"I will, Obaa-san." Gina's eyes filled with tears when her daughter came to hug her. "Why are you crying?"

"Because you're growing up too fast. You're my baby and I want you stay little forever."

"But if I stay little forever, then I wont grow up to be a cool shinobi," the girl said matter-of-factly.

Gina laughed at her daughter's words and whipped her tears away. "That's true." Gina hugged her daughter one more time before giving her a kiss. "Have fun and be good."

"I will." Soi finally turned to her father and gave him a giant hug.

"Knock them dead, sweetie." The little girl pulled back and gave him a mischievous grin. "Not like that. Don't use that."

Soi rolled her and took a few steps back. "I wont," she said in a playful voice. "Love you guys," she yelled over her shoulder as she ran through the front doors of the academe and out of the sight of her family.

"That was more painful than I thought it was going to be," Chiasa said as she whipped a single tear from her eyes as she watched the child go.

"What's this," Bunko asked as she also whipped her tears away. "Big bad Chiasa is crying?"

"Shut up, mom," she said playfully. Chiasa had grown out her annoy-mother-at-all-costs phase a long time ago. When she turned twenty she apologies to her mother for being such a troublesome daughter, but she still held a sharp tongue. "I'm off to work. See you guys at home."

"I'll walk with you."

Gina and Adatta continued to stand in place, both of them gazing at the academe building. "I'm still not sure about this," she said.

"She's going to be fine. She's a strong girl."

"I know, but a shinobi's life is dangers and short lived. I don't want anything happening to her."

Adatta wrapped an arm around his ex-girlfriend as he tried to comfort her. After Soi was born, Adatta and Gina's relationship began to fall apart. They'd constantly argue about where the girl was to be raised, either in Konoha or Iwa. What her disciplining would be like, if Soi was to become a shinobi or not. Eventually they both called it quits, but agreed to be civil for their daughter's sake. Gina was, and still is, against her daughter become a shinobi. She saw what the shinobi life did to her cousin Jiro and she didn't want that for her baby, but the little girl convinced her otherwise.

Soi showed to be an incredibly smart child from day one. She started walking and talking before other kids her age. When she was four she used her kekkei genkai for this first time. This major milestone terrified her parents. Her ability is an extremely dangers blood trait that could easily harm another. The moment Adatta learned that her ability had awakened; he took it upon himself to train her. She needed to be taught how to use her skill properly and to always keep her feelings in check, which is easier said than done with a headstrong child.

"I think she's going to grow up to be something great." Gina gave him a small smile before heading to work, but Adatta stayed outside the building until the final warning bell rang. "Good luck, baby girl." The proud father slowly made his way to the hospital, imagining his daughter's future as he went. Adatta made sure to give Soi everything she needed in life. He made sure that she was well taken care of and was never left wanting. With some pride he could easily say that his child was perfect. She was an extremely kind girl and often looked out for others. She helped out around the house without being asked and hardly ever threw a fit. Her innocent way of looking at the world always astounded him. She always saw the good in people and was quick to forgive, even when they didn't deserve it.

Adatta's POV  
"Dr. Mouki, you have an 8:30 appointment," the nurse said to me as I walked through the clean halls of the hospital.

"Thank you, Shinza." I shut the door to my office before relaxing in my big comfy chair. I tried looking through the pile of papers in front of me, but the pictures on my desk caught my eye. One of the pictures was of me on the happiest day of my life. I was holding the new born Soi in my arms, her little eyes closed and one of her hands held my finger tightly. The second picture was one that was taken just a few weeks ago. Soi's arm was resting on the arm of a blue couch as she held her newborn cousin, her giant smiled taking up most of the picture.

Sometimes it amazed me how cute she was. She looks just like my mother except for her skin color. It was a soft mocha color like mine, but her dark eyes, curly hair, and gentle looking features look identical to my mother.

Without thinking, I took out a piece of paper and started writing my monthly report.

**She's growing up fast. Today was her first day at the academe. I don't know how I didn't cry. She is going to grow up to be something special, I can feel it. I still think you should come meet her. I tell her about you all the time.**

A sharp knocking on my door brought took my attention away from my letter. "Doctor. You're 8:30 appointment is here," the nurse said as she poked her head around the door. I sat my pen on the desk a followed her out of the room.

/\/\

Three Years Later

Soi's POV  
"Soi, you're out of control. I'm so proud of you," Chiasa said as she gave me a big hug.

"Thank you," I said through my happy squeals of joy. This was the second time I was placed in advanced classes at the academe. I breezed through all the training, drills, and exams to the point where I wasn't challenged enough, so I was put in a higher class.

"At the rate you're going, you're going to graduate two years early," Jun, my step-father, said as he patted me on the back. He was a tall man, about 6'3'' and always had some little remark to say, but it was always out of love. We'd often go back and fourth with out banter until someone broke us up.

"I know! And if I keep it up I'll graduate three years early."

"Let's count our blessings and celebrate your current victory before thinking too far ahead," my mother said as she gave me a hug. "You're already the youngest out of your new class. Do you want to be three years behind in age?"

"What does it matter? If I'm better than everyone else, does it matter how young I am?"

My mother rolled her eyes at me. "Have you written your father yet?"

"No. I should go do that." I ran out of the kitchen and to my room as quickly as I could. My dad moved back to Iwagakure during my second year at the academe. He said that his mother needed him for something, but didn't tell me what. I've met my paternal grandmother only a handful of times, but I like her. My grandfather on the other hand…well, he's an ass. He always looks at me strangely and doesn't say anything unless he as to. No one has ever told me why he's like that, but I also never asked. If he didn't like me, that's fine. He was never in my life enough to make a difference. Why should I worry about what he thinks of me?

I took out my notepad from my desk and flopped on my bed. The second my pen hit my paper, my hand started scribbling a mile a minute.

**Hey dad.  
Today my sensei told me that I'm moving up a year, again! I'm so excited. I can't wait to graduate and start going on missions.**

Normally I write a lot more, but for some reason I couldn't concentrate. I was too pumped up to write any more. I flew back down the steps and out the door. The warm air blew through my shoulder long curly hair as I ran through the streets. They sky seemed bluer and the trees seemed greener today. "I want to do something, but I don't know what to do," I said to myself as I half ran, half skipped down the street.

Without realizing it, somehow I found my way back at the academe. I walked to the back of school and saw several students practicing their taijutsu and ninjutsu. At the far end of the building I saw a group of kids were from my class. More precisely, from the class I just left. "Hey guys. Can I practice with you?"

The red haired boy, Tatobi, scowled at me with distain. "Why would you want to do that? You're not part of your class anymore, so what the point of you hanging out with us?"

My brows knitted in confusion at his harsh tone. "What's wrong with you?"

He rolled his eyes and turned his back to me. "Nothing."

I quickly moved to stand in front of him, which put me in the center of the group of kids he was with. "It's not nothing. What's your problem?"

"Our problem is that you're terrific ability to suck up has gotten you placed in advanced classes. Again," Sano, the bright-eyed blond said from behind me.

"Maybe if you all practiced as hard as I do, you'll get placed in advanced classes too."

"Don't pretend that it's because you practice. Besides being Kenshin-sensei's star suck up, everyone is afraid of you. He just wants you out of his class," Sano said as she shoved me.

I took half a step back to keep my balance, but I could feel my temper rising. "Don't push me, Sano."

"Or what? You'll hurt me like you hurt Minazu?" She pushed me again.

_Flashback: Several Weeks Ago  
It was my favorite part of the day, taijutsu training. During training I accidently hurt my sparing partner. Minazu was the only one in class who could keep up with me and I really started getting into our match. I grabbed her arm and tossed her to the ground as she tried to hit me, but the minute her back collided with the floor I knew something was wrong._

_She was screaming in pain as she held her arm to her body. Kenshin sensei came over and tried to assess the damage. "It hurts," she cried out. _

_Kenshin sensei lightly touched her arm and pressed down, making her scream again. "You're arm is broken." He looked over his shoulder and looked at me. "Soi, you know better than to fight that hard."_

"_I didn't squeeze her arm that tight. I promise."_

"_She probably used her ability on Minazu," one of my classmates shouted.  
End Flashback_

It was no secret that I wasn't well liked among my fellow genin. What I was first transferred to their class, I was looked at like a new toy. Everyone wanted me to study with them so they could get the better grades. But once they learned about my kekkei genkai, I became a social pariah. Everyone was afraid that I might bump against them or something ridiculous like that.

Tatobi gripped my upper forcefully and yanked me away from the group. "Look, you're a freak. You might be a good ninja, but you need to stay away fro-"

"Hey now," an overly enthusiastic voice said from behind me. A girl with light brown eyes and spike purple like hair, that was tied up in a pony-tail, stood smiling before us. "Is there a problem here?"

"No," I snapped at the unknown girl. "I can take of this myself." Tatobi instantly withdrew his hand from and took a few steps back, his eyes growing wide. "I didn't mean like that!"

Everyone within Tatobi's took a few steps back. "It doesn't matter. Just leave us alone," and then they were gone. I turned to look at the spiky haired girl. Her confused filled eyes continue to watch the students as they walked away.

"What's up their ass?"

"Me," I said with some annoyance. Her eyes immediately shot to me as I realized how that could be taken. "Not like that!"

The new girl gave me a cheeky smile. "Forget them. Come train with me and my friends. I'm Mitarashi Anko."

"My friends and I," I corrected, but she just laughed. As much as I wanted to go with her, part of me was hesitant. It's the same thing every time. People are happy to know me in the beginning and then they hate me, but I guess it doesn't matter. I have to get use to disappointment sometime. "I'm Mouki Soi."

"Oh, you're the girl that got boosted into my class. When do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

Anko wrapped her arm around my neck and started leading me towards a group of kids who were practicing. "That's cool. I've heard a lot of great things about you. You're the one who's jumped three grades, right?"

"Two."

"Whatever." We stopped short of a group of guys who had been sparing with each other. "Hey guy, this is my new friend, Soi. This is Shiranui Genma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Umino Iruka." Anko pointed at every one of her friends as she named them off.

"Hello," Kurenai said as she gave me a slight wave. The first thing I noticed about her was her eyes. I've always been a sucker for abnormal colored eyes. "Are you the same Soi that's going to be transferred into our class?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Genma said with a proud smirk on his face. "We get the Destroyer!"

My one eyebrow shot up in confusion. "The what, now?"

"You're the girl who can destroy things by touching them, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then you definitely need to hang out with us."

Iruka rolled his and took a step forward. "Please ignore my friend. He gets excited over something's." His hand was extended towards me, ready for mine.

My eyes drifted downward and looked at his hand, then back at him. It was rare that anyone outside of my family would willingly touch me, so I shook his hand with slight hesitation. "You guys don't have a problem my ability?"

The arm around my neck squeezed tightly, forcing my body to press against Anko's. "Why would we? You have an amazing gift. Think of how great a shinobi you'll be one day." Everyone else smiled and nodded in agreement. "Come on. You're sparing with me first."

The rest of my day was spent with my new friends. After practicing for a few hours we went to get ice-cream. "So Soi, do you have any siblings," Kurenai asked as we walked randomly through the streets of our beloved village. "No, but I have three cousins. Two older ones and a younger one. My little brother will be here in a few months."

"That's nice. Does you're family live close to each other?"

"We all live in the same house."

Everyone's eyes went wide as they stared at me. The only families, besides mine, that had multiple sub-families and generations living under one roof were the Uchiha's and the Hyuuga's. "Does that mean you're part of the Catsuko family?"

"Born and raised," I said between licks of my quickly melting ice-cream.

"Who's your mother?"

"Gina."

"My mom works with your mom," Genma said after downing the rest of his ice-cream. "She's a nice lady. When I go to visit my mom, Gina always has something nice to say."

I chuckled at his compliment. It's true that my mother was a nice lady, but she did have her moments. "Have you ever seen her angry?"

"No and I have a feeling I don't want to."

"Good choice." I looked up to the sky and noticed that it was no longer blue. A beautiful mixture of pinks and yellows painted the endless canvas. "I have to go home now. My aunt is probably serving dinner soon."

Anko threw her arms around me and made a fake crying sound. "But I don't want you to go. You're too much fun!"

I smiled at her and untangled myself from her grasp. "You'll see me tomorrow."

"Fine, but you're sitting next to me."

After a brief goodbye and more complaints from Anko, I went home. The second I walked through the door the thick smell of home cooking hit me hard. I walked into the dining room and way my Aunt Chiasa setting the table. "I'll help you," I said as I went to grab the plates.

"Where have you been?"

"Training and eating ice-cream."

"Sounds fun. Any cute boys?" I love my Aunt Chiasa. She is by far my favorite aunt. She always made some sort of crack at me, which taught me to be a quick thinker. And it was no secret that I always wanted her looks. I'm not the type to obsess over vanity, but my hair was hard to take care of. Her stick straight brownish-red hair was amazing and simple.

"None that I noticed." It was a running joke in the family that I'd never meet a guy, which was fine with me. My goals in life were to become an amazing kunoichi and eventually an elite bodyguard for the Hokage. There wasn't room in my life for a relationship. The only people who had a problem with this are my mother and grandmother. They kept telling me that I was young and that I'd change my mind when I get older, but I didn't want to. Romantic relationships are complicated and stupid. I learned that from watching my parent and my aunts failed relationships.

"That's my girl. What else did you do?"

"I made some new friends."

"That's great. Do they know about your little explosive habit?"

"Yeah. They seem to like it."

"Well that's good. I'm happy you've finally found friends who are ok with you're ability."

Secretly, so was I. Outside of my family, not many people liked me. Some would tolerate me, but they wouldn't come near me. They'd be too afraid that I'd lose focus and break something. I think Anko and the others are the first friends I've ever made, but I shouldn't give my hopes up. If they still want to be my friend after a month, then I can really call them friends.


	3. New Classmate

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 2 – The New Girl

Soi's POV  
I was pleased to see Anko waiting for me outside of the academe. Even thought I was happy to see here, another part of me was telling me not to get too attached. This happened every I moved into a different class. A few of the students were happy that I was placed in their class, but the rest resented me. My reputation of destroying thing, even though it was always an accident, always made people shun me. Eventually, even the ones who were originally happy to be my friends, would turn their backs on me as well.

"Are you ready," Anko asked as we started for class.

"As I'll ever be."

"Oh, come on," she said as she started pushing towards the building. "You're going to be fine. Don't be such a baby."

There was ten minutes to spare before class started, but that was more than enough for Anko to show me off. She wouldn't even give me a moment to put my stuff down before she started pulling me all over the place.

We went over to table where several familiar faces were talking amongst themselves. Kurenai and the guys from last night were chatting away with two boys who I didn't know, but that didn't stop Anko from injecting me directly into their conversations. "Hey, guys!" Everyone's eyes shot to us, even the two boys I don't know. Several of the guys replied with a friendly, "hi," or a wave, but there was one welcoming that took me by surprise.

One of the unknown boys practically hopped over his desk and stood before me. He eyed me up and down with the most ridiculous grin. "Anko, who is your beautifully youthful new friend," he asked as he took my hand gently and kissed it.

Never in my life have I ever been speechless, but this guy floored me. I'm not sure what confused me the most, his crazy bowl cut hair, his lack of knowledge of personal space, or his erratic attitude.

"I…I'm…" Anko gave me a swift elbow to my ribs to bring me back to reality. "I'm Mouki Soi."

"I'm Might Guy and this is my close friend," he ushered to the silver haired boy behind him, "Hatake Kakashi."

I gave Kakashi a small smile as I slowly withdrew my hand from Guy.

Genma, who was sitting on the edge of the desk, leaned a bit closer to Kakashi and spoke in a not so low whisper. "I told you that the Destroy was in our class." I couldn't hold back a small round of laughter. "Sorry, Soi, but that's your official nickname until I think of something better."

"No worries," I said with a smile.

It didn't escape my notice that Kakashi was indifferent about me, but it didn't really matter. I was use to rejection, but at least he didn't seem to hate me for no good reason. I'd take indifference over hatred any day.

The room suddenly feel silent as the sensei walked into the room. He was an average looking guy, nothing special about him. He was tall, about six feet, with dirty blond hair and green eyes. I wouldn't go so far as to say he was dropdown gorgeous, but he was cute.

Anko pulled on my arm lightly and I followed her lead. We went to the two empty seat a few rows away from Kakashi and Guy and sat down. "And the fun begins," Anko whispered with a grin. I rolled my eyes and didn't bother to hide my smirk.

"Good morning class," the sensei said with a warm smile. Several of the students replied to his greeting, but most stayed silent. "I'm sure some of you have noticed that we have a new student." I immediately averted my eyes from him and dropped my head a bit. "Would you please introduce yourself."

I looked over at Anko, who's whicked smirk hadn't lost its place on her face, but did I was asked. I stood up from my chair and glanced around the room. Like always, I received a mixture of reactions. A few people, manly the people Anko introduced me to, had reoccurring smiles on their faces, while everyone else looked at me in either wonder or horror. "I'm Mouki Soi," I said with as much pride as I did every time I had to introduce myself. As much as I abhor being rejected and hated at first glance, I had more pride in my abilities and my actions to not let it affect me too much. I'll admit that it bothered me, but being rejected taught me an important lesson. Always be wary of the people around me.

"Why is she in our class," an annoyed voice said from a few rows ahead of me. A boy with dark red hair and pale gray eyes was giving me the coldest stare.

"Ukyo-"

"Do you have any idea who she is," the Ukyo yelled as he turned to set his eyes firmly upon our sensei. "You have got to be kidding me. The only reason she's in our class is because she broke Kikui Minazu arm and Kenshi sensei didn't know what to do with her. My little brother was in her last class. He told me everything."

"Ukyo-" but Ukyo wasn't giving the sensei any slack.

"Think about it, Yasushi sensei. If she did that just by touch by letting a guard down just for a second, imagine what she could do if she actually tried."

"Ukyo, that is enough," the sensei yelled as he simultaneously slammed his fist against his desk at the front of the room. Although this was the first time I ever laid eyes on my new sensei, my first impression of him was that he wasn't the type of man to yell. By the looks on my fellow classmates faces, I was right. "I will not tolerate such disrespect in my classroom. Either calm yourself or get out." Ukyo and Yasushi sensei had a stare off for a couple of moments before Ukyo calmed himself.

I was so dumbstruck by what just transpired that I forgot that I was still standing. Silently, hoping no one would notice, I sat back in my seat. I'm probably the only person in the world who could start an argument like that just by introducing myself. "Nice going," Anko said in a low whisper.

"Did you like that," I whispered back. "All in a days work." Anko gave me a small smile before leaning back in her seat. I rolled my eyes and smiled also. I had only known her for a short time, but it felt like I have known her my entire life. We were blunt and sarcastic with each other and it felt so right. She's like the sister I never had.

Beside Ukyo's little outburst, the rest of the morning went by without a hitch. Yasushi sensei lecture about battle plans and why some people are naturally better at using weapons than other. It was all much more interesting than what Kenshi sensei talked about.

After morning lectures the class moved to the large sparring room down on the first floor. On the way down, Yasushi sensei pulled me aside and apologies for Ukyo's action. I told him that it wasn't a big deal and that I've heard worse. I'm note sure if he believed me or not, but it was true. I've been called plenty of names and what Ukyo dished out was nothing compared to some of the other things I've been called.

When we reached the sparring room, Yasushi sensei stated that for the next hour and a half we were to spar with three different people. This was by far my favorite part of the day. In my old class we were only allowed to spar with one person during the entire class period. Now I have the chance to test my skills on more people. However, not everyone felt the same way. I received worried looks from a number of my classmates, but ignored them.

The first ten minutes of class was spent on warm ups. After five laps around the room and some stretches, Guy sped over to me with a wide smile on his face. "Let's spar together!" With such a charming, yet creepy smile, how could I say no?

That half hour of sparing with Guy was by far the best taijutsu match I've ever had, outside of sparing with my father anyway. Guy's movements were so fast that I actually had a bit of a hard time keeping up with him. At the end of half hour, neither of us had landed any successful hits. We both danced between offense and defense, but it never got anywhere.

"You're the best challenge I've had in a while," I said between unsteady breaths.

"Same to you. You're attack style is so youthful and elegant. We should do this every class." Guy's enthusiasm was a little off putting, but I did enjoy the offer. I don't think I've met anyone as perky as him.

The next person I sparred with startled me at first. I had always been tall for my age, but this kid must be tall for his. He had messy brown hair that almost covered a pair of astonishing violet eyes. I've never been the type to ogle at someone, but I could've stared into these eyes forever. What was even more astounding was that he approached me without fear. Instead, he walked up to me with a heart melting smile. "Hi. My name is Kouki."

"I'm Soi." I'm sure our small chatter would've continued if Yasushi sensei hadn't instructed us to being. Kouki wasn't as fast as Guy was, but he was stronger. When he did hit me, it hurt…a lot. He landed two hits, wounding my pride more than anything, but my ego boosted when I knocked him on his butt four times.

"You're good," he said from his spot on the floor. I giggled at the crooked grinning he gave me as he looked up at me through his long lashes. I extended my hand to him, which he took eagerly and without hesitation. As he bounced up from his spot on the floor, the teacher told us it was time to switch partners. "Thank you for the match."

I was going to say, "no problem," but he walked away before I could open my mouth. As I looked around for another partner, the only kid I found without a partner was Kakashi. I was torn between being extra cautious so I could make a good impression or acting normal. I settled for normal. If he didn't like me, then whatever. I'm sure Anko would understand.

"Go get'em, Soi," Anko yell from a crossed the room as I approached Kakashi.

Kakashi and I both rolled our eyes at her. The two of us took the proper fighting stance as we waited for our instructions to start. "Ready," I asked, but the jerk said nothing. Someone needs to pull that kunai out of his ass.

While in my train of thought I didn't hear Yasushi sensei gave the order to start. Lucky for me, I snapped back into reality seconds before a fast moving fist collided with my face. Although Kakashi wasn't as fast as Guy or as strong as Kouki, he was a happy medium that kept me moving. His movements were more fluid than the others. He didn't leave any part of himself unprotected and only waited to counter when I unintentionally gave him an opening. As much as I loved sparing with Guy, Kakashi is now my guy to beat.

"We should do this every class," I somehow managed to get out between forced breaths and flying limbs. Again, he didn't say anything. "Come on, a little conversation wont kill you."

I'm not sure how it happened, but I found myself on my back moments later. His dark, emotionless eyes looked down at me with annoyance. "If you talk during a fight, you're not giving it your all."

Now I was angry. I could forgive the rudeness earlier, I could heal my wounded pride from his last attack, but this was just infuriating. The way he said it was so condescending that I wanted to break something.

I pulled my leg back, and then forcefully thrust it forward. My foot roughly collided with the back of his knee, making him fall forward. I grabbed the coaler of his shirt and pulled him down to me. I moved out from under him as quick as I could, leaving him face down on the ground. My hands locked his arms behind his back, my weight pushed him hard against the floor.

"Don't let your guard down, even round a fallen enemy," I whispered into his ear. He struggled against my grasp, but I put all my body weight on him. "Annoying when someone acts like a condescending jackass, isn't it?" I quickly jumped off of him before he found a way out of my hold. He turned over onto his back and looked up at me. That annoyed, yet pleased look in his eye instantly put me in a good mood. Judging by how annoyed he was, not many people put him down like that. Go me.

I could hear the whispers from our classmates, but ignored them as I offered him my hand. Surprisingly, he took it. I half expected him to brush it off. "Thank you for the match," I said honestly.

After standing up the only answer I received was a simple nod. Oh, well. It was better than nothing.


	4. A Little Bit Closer

AN: Hello all. After having a brief chat with my Fanfiction consultant *cough*EclairDesigns*cough* I have decided that I'm going to also be writing a Fic about Mei, the Mizukage. I have an idea of what I want and I'll start writing drafts when I get a few more chapters done of Unexpected.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 3 – A Little Bit Closer

Soi's POV  
"I don't know how to feel about that kid," I said as I dodged Anko's attacks with ease.

"Who?"

"Kakashi." I'm not sure what was so funny, but everyone laughed at me.

"I think you're just upset because he actually had you for a second." I remained silent, not bothering to give her a witty comeback. My mind we back to the events from a few days ago. I'll admit that Kakashi was a good fighter and all, but...uh. He pinned me, but I pinned him too, so why was I feeling so defeated? It was just one match.

"What's his deal, anyway? The only thing he's said to me was when he corrected my technique. Why does he have to act like such a jerk?"

"Daddy issues," Anko blurted out.

Kurenai and Iruka stopped their sparing and stared wide eyed as the both yelled, "Anko," in unison.

"What?" The look on Anko's face was one of pure innocence, but we all knew better. "It's true."

Iruka rolled his eye in annoyance and let out a strained sigh. "That doesn't mean you need to say it. At least, not like that."

Anko was about to say something, but I cut her off. "Ok, I'm lost. What are you guys talking about?" Whatever was going on was obviously a taboo subject because no one answered.

The six of us, Iruka, Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, Anko, and I, decided to stay after school and practice sparing in the courtyard. Apparently, they do this four times a week, which is no problem with me. It makes for good practice, but the group wasn't complete. Genma and the silver haired menace were late. When they finally arrived, their lame excurse was that they had to stay after class to help sensei by delivering papers to the Hokage's office. Now that they're hear, no one was going to tell me what, "daddy issues," meant.

"Now that we're all here, we should switch partners." The moment the words left her mouth, I glared at Anko with all the hatred I could muster. I know what she was doing and I'll be damned if I allow her to partner me up with Kakashi. She had been planning this for a while.

Instead of giving her time to assign groups, I dashed over to my new spar buddy. "I'm with Kurenai," I said with a smirk as I snaked an arm around her neck. Thankfully, she didn't have any objections.

The look of displeasure was evident on Anko's face, which fueled my moment of joy. "Fine, I guess there's no point in assigning groups. Pick who you want." And they did. The groups were Genma and Guy, Asuma and Kakashi, Anko and Iruka, and Kurenai and myself.

Three hours go by in a blur when you're moving nonstop, but I didn't complain. I was with some really amazing people who, for once, weren't afraid to be near me. But while I was with them, one thought never left my mind. It doesn't last forever. The "friendship," I received from others never did.

Our sparing matches came to a close when Anko made an overly loud announcement that she was hungry, which reminded me of something I had forgotten to tell everyone earlier. "My mom said that all of you are invited to our house for dinner."

"Tonight?"

"Whenever you want. It's kind of like a show up when you want kind of invitation."

"So," my sweet Anko said as she naked an arm around my neck and pulled me close to her. "If I just happened to show up at your place tonight, what would happen?"

"You'd get a free meal." Wasn't she paying attention to anything I just said?

Genma was next to ask a stupid question, which started to make me wonder if these are the types of people I really should be friends with. "Is Anko the only one allowed to go?"

"She said, 'all of you,' referring to all of us." My eyes snapped over to the one person I didn't expect to chime into this conversation, Kakashi. He looked as dumfounded as I was.

"Um, yeah, so we always eat at eight. Feel free to stop by whenever you guys want." The crazy look in Genma and Anko's eye made me rethink my invitation.

Although our sparing was over, the eight of us still stayed together. Outside of Konoha's out walls, there is a river a couple miles away. Just out of boredom, we decided to go for a dip. It was a particularly hot day, so we decided to take advantage of the resources that we were given.

The warm summer sun missed with the feel of cool river water was pure bliss. I couldn't remember the last time I went swimming, but it felt great. The only one of us who wasn't enjoying in the festivities was the silver haired killjoy. His idea of fun was sitting under a tree and faking a nap. Dear Kami, I'm going have to beat the fun into him. Even though I was thoroughly annoyed with lack of interest in fun, seeing him by himself made me feel guilty. No one should be alone on such a beautiful day.

He didn't budge or look at me as I stepped out of the river and went to sit by his side. "Hey, why don't you come swimming with us?"

"I don't want to get my cloths wet."

"Then take them off." That finally got him to look at me, but it wasn't the look I was aiming for. Amusement or a smile would've been nice, but all I got was a look that made me think her didn't think I was serious. "What? You're wearing underwear, aren't you? It's not like any of us will poke fun at you. Well, Anko might…and Genma…and possibly Guy. On second thought, keep your cloths on."

After giving me another questionable look, he rolled his eyes and turned to watch our friends. We were silent for a while, neither of us having much to say. Not that I would ever admit it to him, but now that I wasn't in the water, sitting in wet cloths wasn't that pleasant. My long sleeves and long pants were clinging to me in a very uncomfortable way.

"Why didn't you take your cloths off?" My head snapped to the side to look at him. I could feel my jaw drop as I stared wide-eyed at him. Did Mr. Killjoy really say that? "At least the top layers."

I quickly shut my mouth and dropped my eyes. I could've done what he said, Kami knows that I have no same in wearing little clothing, but I couldn't tell him that I was afraid. The only reason I wore long sleeves and long pants is because I'm afraid of people touching me. I didn't want to hurt anyone by accident. I learned the hard way, multiple times, that I shouldn't touch people unless necessary. After the incident with Minazu, I thoroughly considered wearing gloves, but have yet to make a final decision about it.

But on the other hand, I learned that wearing long clothing can also be really annoying. Wearing this outfit in the sun, day after day, is almost enough to give me heat stroke, so I tweaked my outfit about a year ago. I always wear a tank top under my shirt, which you could see the straps because my shirt hung off my shoulders, and my pants have zippers around the knees so if I get too hot I can take off the bottom part of the legs, turning the pants into short.

It didn't strike me as odd that Kakashi actually noticed my attire, but what took me back was the fact that he actually cared if I was hot or not. "So, does this mean you're worried about me having heat stroke," I said with a wink, hoping it would change the subject. I'd prefer it if I didn't have to tell him that I'm afraid of own body, well, at least what it can do.

I didn't get an answer, which was fine with me. For some time, we sat in silence. It was a comfortable silence, peaceful, and unstrained. The warm wind lightly blew my still damp curls a bit before dissipating. I wish for it to come back, but it didn't. Pity, I really wanted it to dry me off.

"Why did you get out," Kakashi asked from my side, still not looking at me.

"To see if you'd come in."

"I'm not going in, so why are you still here?"

"To keep you company," I replied nonchalantly. He gave me a quick glance out of the corner of his eye before shutting his eyes for another fake nap. "You really need to learn to loosen up or that pole you have shoved up your ass is going to fuse with your spine."

"You need to learn to be serious or you're going to botch your first mission straight out of the academe." Instead of punching him in the face, which I really wanted to do, I laughed off his words. A pained, forceful laugh.

Kakashi's POV  
I don't know why, but I find her laugh amusing. I still didn't understand why she was sitting with me, but I didn't push the subject. Instead, I let the silence take us once again. As we sat under the tree, I couldn't stop thinking about what she said about the pole and me not being fun. I was fun, but there was a time for fun and game and there was a time to be serious. We're shinobi, we're not given the option of slacking off. If we did, terrible things would happen. She'll figure that out one day.

"Time to eat," Genma yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes just in time to see him and Guy shaking the water out of their hair.

The two of them looked like ravenous beasts, but Anko looked like she was about to eat the first thing that moved. "I am starving," she said as she rubbed her stomach in emphasis. Soi was starting to get up, but Anko pulled her to her feet. "You're too slow."

"No, you're pushy," Soi retorted with a smile. I'll never understand them. They hadn't known each other long and they're already inseparable. One Anko was enough, now there are two. Graduation can't come quick enough.

"Dinner at Soi's place," Anko yelled with way too much enthusiasm. "Who's all coming?" Everyone raised their hands, all looking cheerful. "What about you," Anko asked with a bit of amusement. "Or do you have something better to do?" Everyone as eyeing me, the one person who actually caught my attention was Soi. I've never seen anyone be able to look hopeful and indifferent at the same time.

"I'll come," I said a bit reluctantly. I don't know why I was making such a big deal about one dinner. It wasn't that important.

Soi's brief smile didn't escape my notice as I stood up. She quickly turned her head, her hair eclipsing her face.

"Alright, onward," Anko said as she pushed Soi in the direction of the village.

/\/\

Dinner was not what Kakashi or any of the others had expected. It was no secret in Konoha that the Catsuko family large, but not fifteen people living under one roof seemed a bit much. The Hyuga and Uchiha families were shinobi clans, so it made sense for them to live together, but the only shinobi in Soi's family were her Uncle Jiro and herself.

What made it worse was that they were all so much alike. Each and every one of them was sarcastic, opinionated, and very headstrong. Some personalities dominated others, but it didn't matter. There was no main branch part of the family, like the Hyuga clan, everyone was equal. As long as everyone respected their elders and loved each other, there was no problem, which there never was. Sure, there were fights among the members, but nothing that would never tear the family apart. They were all stuck with each other and they couldn't be happier.

"I'm happy that I finally got to meet all of you," Gina said before taking a bite of her food. It took a little rearranging, but someone everyone managed to sit at the exceptionally long table in the dining room. The extremely long dining room table was one of them many things in the Catsuko house was a family heirloom. Konma, Soi's greatgreat-grandfather, had made it several years ago so the entire family could eat together instead of in separate rooms. Almost every room in the house had something that he made and his wife decorated. They were a crafty duo long before they were married all those years ago.

"It's about time Soi had us over. Keeping all of you to herself was selfish," Anko said as she playfully elbowed Soi in the side. It didn't take Anko long to become attached to Gina and Chiasa. Perhaps it was because they were so much like Soi, but after spending ten minutes in their house, Anko stated that the Catsuko's were he long lost relatives and that she'd be around more often. None of them had any arguments about it and admitted that they enjoyed her company.

The rest of Soi's friends also agreed that the Catsuko were a fantastic family. They were all friendly, in their own sarcastic way, but it made them feel comfortably. The only person out of the bunch that made the Catsukos second-guess Soi's sanity was Guy. They didn't know whether to be entertained or disturbed by his erratic behavior.

Even though Kakashi had a fun time with Soi's family, he finally understood why she was they way she was. She was loud, random, and headstrong because of the people sitting in front of him. They also made her much to tranquil. None of them seemed to be very serious, which was a problem for a shinobi. Even Jiro, one of Konoha's greatest medical-nin, was too happy and carefree for Kakashi's liking.

Although Kakashi was enjoying himself, he also wished to escape form the Catsuko's as quickly as possible. They were all to…happy. The furniture made by family members, the walls covered with pictures, the carefree faces, it was all too much for him. He imagined that this is what a family must feel like. He was happy that Soi was able to have these warm people surround her day in and day out, but it wasn't his thing. The young shinobi had come to terms long ago that he would never have something like this. He'd never be able to come home to a mother and father, pictures hanging on the walls filled with smiling faces, or a delicious meal. He was alone and that is how it was going to be.

As the night came to a close, the young shinobi to be slowly made their way to the door. They thanked their generous hosts for the evening while simultaneously saying that they should have a repeat of the evening again. Gina reminded them that they were all welcome into the Catsuko home anytime they please, whether Soi was there are not. After just one dinner, they had become part of the family.

Soi and her mother stood in the doorway as the watched the young shinobi leave. "I like your friends. They're cute. Even the hyper one."

"I like them too," Soi replied with a laugh. She could see Anko and Guy talking about something as they slowly made their way down the street. All to quickly for Gina's eyes, the two hyperactive nutcases appeared back at the Catsuko doorstep with grin almost touching their ears.

"Sleep over," Anko and Guy asked in unison.

Gina started laughing and walked away without saying anything while Soi moved to the side and pointed to the stairs. "Fourth door on your left." They used their quick shinobi feet to bounce up the stairs and into Soi's room before anyone else could see. Soi rubbed her eyes with the back on her hand as she closed the front door. "I'm not getting any sleep tonight."

By the time Soi made her way to her room Anko was laying on her bed and Guy was looking at all the pictures on her wall. "You take a lot of pictures."

"Not me. It's my mom and Obaa-san. They like taking pictures of everything." Soi moved to stand by her friend and looked at the pictures along with him. There were pictures of her family covering an entire wall. They all seemed so happy and care free.

"Who are these people," Guy asked as he pointed to the picture with unknown faces.

Soi's eyes locked onto the picture, the familiar feeling of dread washed over her. There were about twenty people in the picture, but only one caught her attention. "The one in the middle is my dad," Soi said as she pointed to tall man in the center. "And everyone else is his family."

"Where are they?"

"Iwagakure."

"That's so far away. You must miss them."

"Nope." Soi walked to her bed and flopped down next to Anko. "The only person I miss is my dad. I don't care about everyone else."

Guy moved to the bed and sat on the edge. He looked down at Soi with confusion. She was such a loving person and she cared deeply for her family. "You shouldn't say such things about your family. I'm sure they love you."

"I truly doubt it." Soi voice distant, almost as if she were in a different universe. "I have an idea. You tell me why Kakashi doesn't enjoy fun and I'll tell you why I don't care about those people."

"Deal," Anko half yelled as she bolted up.

/\/\

Soi wasn't kidding when she said her family made great food. When heading to her house, Kakashi planned to only eat just enough to be hospitable, but he ended up eating way more than he should. "This is going to take forever to work off," he said as he flopped onto his bed. "How does she stay so fit?"

That train of thought brought his full attention to Soi. How did she do anything? She confused him more than Anko and Guy did, but what made him angry was that he couldn't figure her out. He had already caught on to why wore long clothing, but everything else was up in the air. It was infuriating.

Something else that annoyed him was the reoccurrence of one of his classmates. Apparently, none of his friends had caught on or they didn't speak up about it, but one particular violet-eyed boy had been following them. He had been hiding during sparing practice, the river, and was hiding outside Soi's house. Kakashi made a mental not to ask the boy what he was doing the next time he saw him.


	5. True Friends

AN: Because it's a holiday, here's one more.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 4 – True Friends

The next few weeks went off without a hitch. Kakashi had kept a watchful eye for Kouki, but was unable to find him and Soi continued to train with her new friends and slowly learned a little bit more about them. However, the person she knew the least about was the person who spoke to her the least. She tried several times to get Kakashi to lighten up around her, but he never dropped his guard.

"Come on, Kakshi, she's a nice girl. Lighten up," Genma said from his spot in Kakashi's kitchen, helping himself to the food. Genma had taken it upon himself to invite himself over to Kakashi's, unannounced, for a guys night in. Iruka and Guy were due to arrive at any minute.

"We don't know anything about her."

"Of course we do. We know she's a great taijutsu user, she's funny, basically Anko's twin, and damn does that girl know how to destroy things," Genma said with a knowing smirk.

A few days ago, after training practice, Genma asked his new friend if he could see how powerful she really was. With no hesitation, she lead them into the woods and stopped when she come upon the largest tree she could find. With a pride filled smirk graced her face as she lightly placed a hand on the side of the tree. Almost as quickly as any of them could blink, the spot on the tree where Soi's hand was shattered into millions of tiny pieces, making the tree fall to the ground, taking several others with it.

They all stood amazed at Soi's destructive ability and applauded her, but the happy mood was cut short when Guy asked her what would happened if she used half of that strength on a person. Soi played off Guy's question and effortlessly changed the topic, but Kakashi and Kurenai caught on to the change in Soi's demeanor. Her shoulders went rigid and averted her eyes away from her friends. Obviously, that was a topic she didn't want to discuss.

"Either way, you need to cut her some slack. You were there when Ukyo has his little tantrum. She probably gets that a lot. A little understanding wouldn't kill you. Besides, she's as confused about how you feel about her as much as you being afraid of her."

Kakashi tore his eyes away from the window to look at his friend. "I'm not afraid of her."

"You're afraid of letting down your guard and letting her in. Ever since your dad…died, you haven't let anyone else in your circle."

"I have enough friends."

"That's not the point. Well, not all of it. We're going to be shinobi one day. We have to be able to work well with people outside our social group. Making friends with someone who might be on your team in the future isn't such a bad idea."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. He was comfortably sitting on his bed, watching the leaves blow outside his window. The world on the other side of the glass was dark and dreary. It was rare for Konoha to have rainstorms as bad as village Kirigakure, but tonight was one of those rare nights. The sky was pitch black, the wind was whipping the leaves off the trees, and the lights were flickering uncontrollably. Genma was still rattling on about Soi and how great she was, but Kakashi tuned him out.

A bright light outside the window filled Kakashi's small apartment for a moment before the roaring sound of thunder followed it. The lights flickered for the sixth time in the last half hour, each time threatening not to come back on.

Reluctantly, Kakashi uncrossed his legs and hopped off the bed. He made his way into the kitchen and took the dark blue raincoat off of the hook on the wall. "Where are you going," Genma asked as he eyed his friend.

"To get candles. I'm not getting stuck in the dark." Without another word, Kakashi exited his apartment. Genma looked at the small black wallet sitting on the counter before looking back at the door. He thought about going after Kakashi, but decided that eating was more important.

The wind, rain, and leaves mad it difficult for Kakashi to catch his bearings the first few steps outside of his apartment. It was rare for it to rain this hard in Konoha and Kakashi silently thank Kami for allowing him to live in a place where the weather was almost always perfect.

_This is ridiculous_, he thought to himself.

Even with his raincoat, Kakashi was almost frozen to the bone by the time he reached the closest corner store. Almost all the stores were closed due to the weather, but one remained open. Droplets fell from his coat as he picked up a small basket just on the inside of the door and maneuvered through the store. There were only a few other customers beside himself, but he paid them no mind. All he wanted was some candles and to get back to the warmth of his home as quickly as possible.

As if on cue a bright light momentarily filled the store, followed by thunder. The lights flickered for a few moments before settling back on. A familiar giggle made Kakashi's ears perk up, instantly snapping to attention. He quickly tossed several candles and a box of matches into his casket before heading to the cash register to confirm his suspension. Low and behold, he was right. Leaning against the checkout desk, dripping wet was Soi.

"You're going sick, young lady. Running around without an umbrella," the store clerk scolded as he continued to ring up Soi's items. He was an older man, in his late 60s at least, and was known for being the neighborhood perv. Most girls knew to stay away from him, but Soi looked at ease. She was giving him a heart warming smile, not caring much for his reputation.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I never get sick."

"I have some extra cloths in the back if you want to change."

Soi looked like she was about to answer, but Kakashi decided to make himself known. "What are you doing," he asked in a deeply annoyed voiced as he looked at her. He glanced over at the clerk for a moment before looking back at Soi. He silently wondered if she would've taken his offer. She was much too trusting.

"Hey, Kakashi," she said in her typically happy voice. "Just getting a few candles and some snacks. The lights are probably going to go out and-"

"Where's you're umbrella?"

"I didn't bring one," she said as if she were answering the easiest question in the world.

Kakashi continued to stare at her, completely baffled. It was pouring outside, perhaps the worst storm he had ever seen, and she's walking around like it was nothing. And to top it off, she wasn't being careful around him. Shinobi or not, she should always be aware.

"You're going to get sick."

Soi leaned lightly on the checkout counter as she smiled at her friend. "Is that concern I hear in your voice," she said with a smirk.

"1,997 yen," the clerk said, slightly annoyed that Soi had stopped paying attention to him, but he perked up when Soi gave him another heart stopping smile. She handed him the money before taking her bags and stepping to the side. The clerk kept his eyes on her as he started to ring up Kakashi's candles, something that didn't escape the boy's notice.

"We're having yakitori and udon tomorrow if you want to come over for dinner." Her eyes studied Kakashi's face carefully. She could tell that he was considering it, but needed an extra push. "Umeko is making mochi for desert." That turned the tables to her favor. Kakashi and the others had come over to her house several times for dinner since the first time they were invited. Everyone loved Soi's great-aunt's cooking. Everything was cooked to perfection. It was like heaven for the mouth.

"I'll be there." Although he didn't show his excitement, Soi could see the anticipation in his eyes. Anyone who ever tasted Umeko's cooking would never turn it down.

"Good."

"1,278 yen, please," the clerk said with a huff. Kakashi stuck his hand in his coat pocket and came up empty. His hands moved to his pants pockets and found nothing again. "Come on, kid. I want to close up before the lights go out."

Kakashi was about to make a snippy retort, but couldn't. Soi, somewhat forcefully, pushed him out of the way and handed the clerk the money. When Kakashi had realized what she had done, he tried to take the money back from the clerk, but the transaction was already complete. The clerk handed Kakashi his bags, then pointed to the door. "Store's closed. Out."

Soi gave the clerk one last smile before starting towards the door. Kakashi followed behind her, deeply annoyed. "You didn't have to do that."

The rain and wind crashed down around them as they stepped out of the store and into the street. The storm hadn't calmed down. The rain made it almost impossible to see anything and the wind wasn't helping, but none of this mattered to Soi. She was enjoying getting drenched by the freezing water and the wind felt good against her skin.

"We're friends, aren't we," Soi asked. Her eyes were hopeful, but her voice shook lightly. It was more of a rhetorical question, but she wouldn't have minded an answer. "It wasn't a problem, so don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kakashi watched as Soi turned from him as she started home. He had known her a little over month, but he still didn't understand her. She was rambunctious, open, flirtatious, and completely random. She was riddle wrapped in an enigma and he hated not being able to figure her out. Just when he thinks he understands her, she pulls a stunt like that. Why would she do that for him? He didn't ask for her help, so why did she give it?

He continued to watch her until she was out of sight, and then headed home. That is, until a quick movement caught his eye. It was too big to be an animal and the only person that could move that fast was a shiniobi. He counted to ten, giving himself just enough distance between him and his target, then took to the rooftops and followed.

Not surprisingly, he was being led in the direction of Soi's house. He could see her several blocks ahead while a familiar figure was following her. It took all but a second for Kakashi to leap down from the rooftops and land right in front of his prey. The violet eyed boy before him stood shocked, but amused.

"Hi, Kakashi," the boy said with his normal perkiness.

"Stop following her," Kakashi replied flatly.

"What?"

"I know that you've been following her for weeks. Leave her alone."

"You don't understand. Ther-"

"I don't care to understand. Leave. Her. Alone."

It took everything Kouki had to continue looking pleasant. Although he hadn't had many conversations with the silver haired boy, Kouki could hear the difference in the way he was speaking. Kakashi was normally calm and cool when he spoke, but not right now. Although he didn't come right out and say it, Kakashi was threatening him. "Fine. I'll stay away from her, but don't blame me for what happens next."

Kouki waved Kakashi a not so fond farewell and started home without another word. The words, "what happens next," played over in Kakashi's mind. What did Kouki mean? Was that a threat to him or to Soi? Was he just bluffing? Too many questions needed to be answered and Kakashi wasn't looking forward to that.

Kakashi watched Kouki until he disappeared from view, then sprinted to Soi's house. He kept his distance, but watched over her until she made it home safely. He didn't know what Kouki had meant with his cryptic warning, but didn't intend to let anything happen to Soi.

When he finally reached his apartment, Guy and Iruka were sitting on the floor watching TV. The lights were flickering like crazy, but that didn't stop his friends from attempting to watch whatever movie they had picked.

"Forget something," Genma asked as he watched Kakashi hang up his coat. His browns furrowed he saw the bags that Kakahi had with him. "How did you get those?"

"Soi bought them for me," he said as he went to sit with his friends. "That girl is out of her mind. She's walking around in this," he emphasized by pointing to the window, "like she is taking a stroll in the park."

"That's no surprise. She is a little strange."

"Strange is putting it mildly." As Kakashi started unpacking his things, he decided to share the other incident of the night. "What do you guys know about Tanzin Kouki?"

"That he's in our class, now shut up. This is the best part," Genma yelled.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and walked over to the tv. He stood in front of the screen and hit the off button, earning him several yells and moans of protest. "We might have a problem."

/\/\

Everyone was surprised to see Soi at school the next day. She wasn't sick like they all expected, but happier than she normally was. "I slept like a baby last night. The storm knocked me out."

Kurenai looked at her friend with disbelief. "How could you sleep through that? I didn't sleep a wink."

Soi shrugged her shoulders. "I love storms. They help me sleep."

"I told you she's strange," Genma said as he elbowed Kakashi in the side.

Soi smiled at Genma comment and decided that to mess with him a bit. She walked to him, much closer than she ever had. He stood about a head taller than her, but that didn't stop her from making him feel uncomfortable. She snaked her arms around and looked up at him through her long lashes. "You have no idea how strange I can be," she said in the most mischievous voice he had ever heard.

"Um…" Genma was beside himself as of what to do. Was she flirting with him or was she just making a point? Should he push her away? Everyone looked at the two with wide is, everyone except Anko that is. The shock and confusion on Genma face sent her into a laughing fit.

"It's time for sparing," Kakashi said as he grabbed Soi's forearm and pulled her away from Genma. The smirk on Soi's face didn't disappear as she allowed Kakashi to pull her away form her prey. Kakashi gave Genma one final look before getting into his fighting stance. Not that he'd say it out loud, mainly not to boost Soi's ego, but he was extremely amused at Soi's actions. No one has ever been able to make Genma speechless. The look on his friends face was priceless, but he had to put an end to Soi's playtime before Genma went crazy.

The group needed no other motivation to start fighting. They got a good laugh from Soi's antics, but now it was time to get a good workout. Genma was distracted for the first half of his fight, still baffled by Soi's actions, but the curly haired kunoichi was having the time of her life. She was still smiling from embarrassing Genma. In fact, she was so distracted that she didn't see Kakashi coming after her.

Normally Soi was able to catch Kakashi's quick movements, but she was so far gone in her own thoughts that she missed his actions completely. She confused when he seemingly disappeared, his speed catapulting him behind her. Her eyes scanned the area, ever vigilant. She tried to sense for his chakra, but came up empty. What happened next was enough to shatter Soi's world.

While the shinobi to be was so concentrated on her front that she wasn't paying attention to what was going on behind her. Kakashi wrapped one arm around her neck while the other was firmly placed at her side, a kunai inches from her. Her momentary shock of being grabbed was just enough time for her to slip.

A brief, loud yell of pain was enough to make the rest of the group stop fighting. Kakashi fell to his knees in pain as he held his arm while Soi quickly stepped away from him. It took a moment, just one second of her not concentrating, to hurt someone she cared for. Her heart started racing as she watched Iruka and Kurenai rushed to his side.

"Are you alright? Let me look at it," Iruka said as he lightly held his friend's arm in his hand.

Soi continued to back up slowly, tears quickly willing her eye, though she didn't let them fall. "I'm sorry," she said through ragged breathing. "I'm so sorry."

Guy stepped closer to her and tried to give her a hug, but she quickly backed up from him. She wrapped her arms around herself to make sure she didn't tough anyone or anything. This was precisely the reason why she wore long cloths. Had he grabbed any other part of her body, he wouldn't be in pain.

"Soi, its alright," Guy said as he slowly started towards her. "It was an accident."

Soi shook her head violently as tears started to fall down her face. "It's not ok. It's never ok." Her eyes were now fixed on the ground. She knew what was coming next. Kakashi would freak out and yell at her. He'd say that she's too dangerous to be around and leave her, and since Anko and the others were his friends, they'd leave her too.

"Don't get so upset," Kakashi said as he slowly stood up, still holding his arms. Soi's eyes snapped to him, tears still falling as she looked at the damage that she caused. There was a large bruise on his arm from where he had grabbed her. Hopefully his arm wasn't broken. If it was, he was one hell of an actor. She could tell that he was in pain, but he was trying his best to hide it. "It was an accident."

"But-"

"You should have been paying attention, but it was an accident. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose." He started towards her, but she backed up. Or at least she tried. Guy had moved closer to her and draped an arm around her shoulders, keeping her in place. Kakashi stretched his arm out just enough for Soi to get a clear view of the damage. "See, it's not broken. Just a bruise." He was so nonchalant about the whole thing, as if what she did really didn't bother him. However, It didn't matter what he said. Knowing that she had hurt someone she considered a friend and the thought was enough to make her sick.

Guy squeezed Soi to him, giving her a reassuring hug, "See? No harm done." Soi looked up Guy's reassuring face, then looked at her friends. Everyone was giving her reassuring looks. Looks that she felt she didn't deserve.

"I know what will perk you up," Anko said in her typically devious voice as she quickly changed the subject. "Dinner at your place."

"Yeah, what are we having," Asuma chimed. "Something good, right?"

Anko rolled her eyes and gave Asuma a, "what do you think," look. "When does Umeko not make a good meal?"

"I was just asking a question."

"A stupid question."

"Look who's talking."

Normally an argument like this would make Soi laugh, but all she did was look back at the ground. She felt out of place for not being yelled at. She had become accustom to being hated for her ability, but the people before her were acting as if what she did was ok.

Kakashi noticed that Soi's mood hadn't changed. She had stopped crying, but her body was still stiff from her initial shock. "You guys go on without us I want to talk to Soi for a minute." Soi's head shot up in order to look at him. He could see the panic in her eyes at the thought of being along with him. She watched in panic as her friends started to leave. Soon enough, she was left alone with the one person she tempted to run away from.

"Don't even think about it."

"What?"

"Run." Soi tilted her head to the side as stared at him. How did he know that she wanted to flee? "I'll be straight with you. It hurts…a lot. My arm is killing me and I'd really like to put ice on it."

Soi's eyes fell to the ground again. She didn't have it in her to look at him, to see the damage that she had done. "T-then…m-maybe we should…I'm s-sure-"

"You're stuttering. Stop it. You're not to type to stutter and you're never short on words. Just say it."

That was new for the young girl. Never had anyone outside her family treated her this way when she slipped. Perhaps he didn't grasp how lucky he was. She could've broken his arm or worse. She could've easily ruined his chances of ever being a shinobi. What she found even stranger was that he seemed annoyed that she was upset. He should've been angry or even scared, but annoyed was the last thing he should be.

Soi closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. He was right. She wasn't the type of girl to stutter or be weak. She had been rejected before and never acted liked this. What made him so different? Why does she feel more depressed for hurting him than the other people she hurt in the past? Once she was calm she dropped her arms, stood up straight, and looked directly into his arms. "We should go to the hospital and get your arm checked out. You don't know if it's broken or not."

Kakashi raised his arm and started moving it around. "It doesn't feel broken."

"How would you know," she half yelled, her hands fisting together in front of her as her anger started to rise. She may not be sad and scared anymore, but she was angry. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why he was taking the situation so lightly. It was infuriating. "Have you ever had a broken bone?"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down," she yelled. For the second time that day, Soi slipped and made a painful mistake. Without thinking, she activated her kekkei genkai and hurt herself. Her hands felt like she had just stuck a fork in a light socket. "Ow….damnit!" She started bring her hands to her chest, but quickly put them down at her sides. Kakashi stepped a bit closer and tried to grab her hands, but she pushed him away. "Why are you treating me like this! You should be mad at me, yelling at me! Stop taking this so lightly."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He was tempted to yell back at her, but didn't. "What do you want me say? Do you really want me to tell you that I hate you and that you need to stop hanging around me?"

"Yes! A normal person would."

"Then I guess some of your craziness has rubbed off on me because I'm not going to say it. I'm not in the habit of lying." Kakashi's lighting fast hands shot out and grabbed Soi's. She tried to pull them back, but he wouldn't let go. His eyes roamed over her hands. There were a little red from her ability, but didn't look like there was much damage. "You're hands are fine," he said as he dropped them. "Let's get going. Food sounds like a great idea right now."

Soi watched him slowly back away from her, neither of them willing to break eye contact. "Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why don't you hate me?"

Kakashi stopped walking and did the one thing he had never done. She wasn't sure if she was going crazy or not, but he was smiling at her. It was a small smile, hidden behind his mask, but it was there. "Because we're friends, aren't we?" Time seemed to stop at his words. Did he really just call her his friend? Had he really forgiven her? "I'm not going to lie, it hurt, but I knew it could happen. Your ability isn't like the Hyuga's or the Uchiha's. You have to practice daily or you'll never be able to master it. It's no different than taijutsu or genjutsu. If it happens again, then it happens. Making mistakes is how you learn." Without another word, he turned his back on her and started towards her house. It took her a moment for everything to sink it. Somehow and at some point, grumpy Kakashi had accepted Soi for the freak that she was. Her loud, erratic behavior and destructive power didn't send him running for the hills.

In that moment, in those words, something changed within Soi. She unintentionally looked at him differently. Out of al her friends, she wouldn't expect Kakashi of all people do be so understand and it bothered her for some reason. She had always wanted people to accept her for who she is and now that she found those people, it scared her. Especially him.

"Kakashi," she called after him. He turned to look at her with questioning eyes. It was as if he was looking through her, as if he knew everything about her. She wanted to say something, anything, but didn't know what. So she settled for the first thing that came to mind. "Why do you wear a mask?"


	6. Fun And Games

AN: I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I'm going to upload this now. That way I know it will actually be posted.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 5 – Fun And Games

The small classroom filled with mixed sounds joy and annoyance. When they were told that the entire day was going to be spent playing the shinobi version of scavenger hunt, all students snapped to attention. Yasushi didn't try to hide his amusement as many of his students silently prayed that he was joking.

"All of you will be broken up into teams of two. There are sixe people within the village to find and another six in the forests just outside the village walls. Each person has a mission for you to complete. Once the mission is completed, they will hand you a clue to look for your next target. Once you are finished, you are to return to the academy." As Yasushi gave his instructions, he walked up and down the rows of seats, handing every other student a folded piece of paper.

Yasushi handed Soi one of the pieces of paper, but she didn't open it. Instead of unfolding it to see the first clue, she leaned back in her seat and played with the tiny paper.

When Yasushi handed Iruka a piece of paper, the young man opened it immediately. "Do we get to pick our teammates," he asked as he read the clue.

"No. I have already decided groups. Again, the room filled with mixed groans, but Yasushi ignored his students. Once all the papers were distributed, Yasushi walked back to his desk and picked up the list of teams. "Team One is Anko," the girls face lit up with excitement at the sound of her name, "and Obito." Soi smiled as she watched her friends smile wither away. She silently mouthed an apology to her friend as she patted her on the back. It was obvious that Anko wanted to be partnered with on of her friends, which is why Yasushi made sure to assign her to someone she typically didn't hang out with. He did this to all of his students. It was a good way to test how well they work with someone they normally don't work with.

"Team Two, Guy and Ukyo." Soi and Anko looked over to Guy. It wasn't in Guy's nature to dislike people, but after Ukyo's outburst about Soi, Ukyo how found himself of Guy's list of, "unyouthful" people.

"This isn't going to end well," Anko whispered to Soi as they watched Guy try to contain his annoyance.

"Poor Guy," Soi whispered back.

The list of teams went on until all thirteen teams were assigned, but Soi and the others within her social group only kept tabs on the teams their friends were in. Kakashi was in team four with Rin, Kurenai was teamed up with Kouki on six, Iruka was with Lita, and Genma and Asuma were together in twelve.

When Yasushi announced that Soi would be in team eleven with Yamanak Ichirou, her eyes scanned the room for the boy. Ichirou was one of the few people in her class that she had yet to talk to, but looked forward to working with him nonetheless.

Ichirou was opposite of his older brother Inoichi in almost every way. Although they had the same hair and eye color, Ichirou's features were much more gentile. He had a soft face, and a smile always seemed to be one it. Unlike Inoichi, being serious was not his strongpoint. Ichirou was the type of person to find the good in everyone and always found a way to have fun. Whether it might he harmless fun or something a bit more dangerous, he was the first to hop on the fun time bandwagon.

"Now that you know your teams, find your partner and get to work."

It didn't take long for the students to organize into their small groups and start the hunt. From the corner of her eyes, Soi cough a glimpse of Kurenai with the violet-eyed boy she fought a few weeks ago. She smiled as she watched them read their first clue. It was obvious that they didn't get it. She debated if she should help them or not, but was confronter by her partner.

"Hello," an overly happy, but thankfully not Guy happy, voice said from Soi's side. She turned to see a blond, pale-eyed boy smiling brightly by her side. "I'm Ichirou."

"I'm Soi," she responded, almost equally as perky.

From a first glance, Soi could tell that she was going to like the boy. Ichirou had a certain innocence about him. Even though this was the first time they had talked, Soi had seen him interact with others on numerous occasions. He was always happy and smiling. He had one of those rare smiles that could infect anyone with pure joy.

"It's nice to finally get to meet you. I've wanted to talk to you for a while now, but I was nervous if you would actually talk to me. But putting my silliness aside, I just know that we're going to have a great day." Each word the boy spoke dripped with joy and excitement. Soi had to suppress her urge to topple the young man to the ground. His positive attitude fueled her desire to hug and cuddle him like a stuffed bear. Instead, she pulled her attention away from him and unfolded the first clue.

"Go to the place where the leaders of the past watch over us," she read aloud. They looked out the window to see the faces of the past Hokages etched into the side of the mountain. "Well, that was easy," Soi said, dejected. She was hoping for the scavenger hunt to be more of a challenge.

Ichirou's happy face turned into a pout at Soi's displeasure. "I'm sure it will get harder."

Team One – Anko & Obito  
Obito had his hands full while being partnered with Anko. Considering the two never really talk to each other, it didn't stop Anko from chatting away.

"This is too easy. When are we going to get a challenge," she complained.

Their first task was to go to the Yamanaka flower shop and run an errand for the owner. The errand was to go into the woods and bring back a specific flower. Since Anko spent a lot of time in the woods, finding the flower wasn't that hard.

"I'm sure it will get tougher. Sensei wouldn't make this too easy."

"Whatever you say. I hope we get to fight or something. That would be great!"

Obito's eyes widened slightly at Anko's eagerness to fight. "Why?" He knew that Anko was the type who wouldn't go looking for a fight, but would be more than happy to be one.

"Because if finding flowers is the highlight of the day, I'm going to flip out. Maybe we'll get to spar with Kakashi or Asuma's team," she said with a wicked grin. Anko's trained eyes picked up on the blush that crossed her partners face when she mentioned Kakashi. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Nah, com on. Spill. Is it because Captain No Fun is running around with your girlfriend?"

"Rin's not my girlfriend!"

"But you want her to be. Come on, Obito. We've been in the same class since we started at the academy. Everyone knows you like her."

Anko's words were true, even if Obito didn't want them to be. He always tried to capture Rin's attention, but her mind was always elsewhere. As obvious as it was that Obito had feelings for her, it was equally obvious that Rin had feelings for Kakashi.

"Can we stop talking about this please?"

"Nope. I'm enjoying watching you squirm."

Team Four – Kakashi & Rin  
Rin and Kakashi's first task was to deliver a small sack of letters to their individual destinations within the village. It was a small and meaningless task, which drove Kakashi up the wall. It was so simple and a waste of his time.

"It would be faster if we split up for this mission. It will cut the time in half," Kakashi said as he took half the letters out of the sack before handing the back to Rin. "We'll meet back here after we're done."

Rin was going add to his command, but didn't have the time. Kakashi had vanished, leaving her to stand by herself in front of the post office. She took out a small handful of letters. Before getting to work. The mail was addressed to different locations all over the village, which gave Rin plenty of time to daydream.

Rin's body was on autopilot the entire time she was delivering her letters. She was so exited to be partnered with Kakashi that she a felt like she was going to burst with excitement. She has had strong feelings for Kakashi since the day they joined the academy. He had always had a spell over her and she wouldn't change that for the world.

However, Kakashi's mind couldn't be farther from Rin's train of thought. His mind was focused on the task at hand and wondering what their next mission would be. It would be a lie to say that he was satisfied with his partner. Rin was a good student, but wasn't on the same level as him. She was smart and got good grades, but all of that hard work went out the window when it came to him. He knew that she had feelings for him, but didn't care. There was no time in his life for a romantic relationship, especially one with a girl who didn't even have the guts to say how she feels.

Team Six – Kurenai & Kouki  
Kouki and Kurenai had flown through their first two missions and were already onto their third. Perhaps it was because they were both heavily skilled young fighters, but the more realistic answer is that they were having fun. Instead of over thinking each mission and stressing, they looked at each mission as a game.

"We need to hang out more often," Kouki said as the two dashed through the woods to find their third clue.

"Definitely! I can't believe that we've never hung out before." During the hunt, Kouki and Kurenai discovered how alike they are. It was as if they were twins who were separated at birth and finally found each other. Sure, they had been in the same class since they were little and chatted every now and then, but this was the first time they've actually had time to hang out together. "You should come spar with my friends and I after school."

"Sure. When?"

"Tomorrow. We do it a couple times a week. I'm sure no one is going to spar after today."

"Aren't you friends with the new girl?"

"She's not really new anymore, but yeah. You'd like Soi."

Kouki was going to respond, but kept his thoughts to himself. He had been infatuated to destructive young lady since she first arrived in his class. She was beautiful, smart, and powerful. She always had a smile on her face, even when some of their other classmates were less than kind to her. Besides the few times they spared during class, he hadn't spoken to her.

Soi was, in a sense, everything he wanted in a friend. To him, she was perfection. He wanted so badly to be friends with her, but he was so afraid that he'd reject him that he didn't even bother to say anything. Thank Kami that he was partnered with Kurenai. Now he has his in with Soi.

The Academy  
All of the groups finished their missions before the end of the school day. Guy's team was the first to finished followed by teams four and eleven. Kurenai and Kouki were extremely upset that they came in fourth. Their last mission took longer than expected and just missed beating Team Two back to the school.

The first three teams that finished earned extra credit and were allowed to leave school early. There was two hours left in the school day so the six students too that time to relax.

"That was so much fun," Soi said from her spot on Guy's back as the group walked leisurely down the dusty street. She had made a comment about wanting a piggyback ride and Guy was all too happy to give her one.

"I agree. That youthful exercise was invigorating," Guy replied.

Since the six students had free time, five of them decided that they were going to go out to lunch together. Ukyo ditched the small group the second their sensei released them from school. He had spent too much time with Guy already and being around Soi would've made him crazy, and not to mention that everyone remembered his outburst in class.

The young shinobi to be waited patiently at a local restaurant for their food arrive. Since there were too many to fit into a booth, the group was given one of the large round tables in the center of the restaurant. It was a nice, small place. The walls were a warm blue color and each table had a small candle in the middle to help set a calming mood.

As they waited each member of the group brought up something about the hunt. They talked about each mission and how they solved each clue. Most of them had the same idea, but the one thing they differed on was the team-sparing match. Each team was given a maximum of half and hour to battle each other. Many of he teams ended in a drawl, but there a few with clear winners.

"Here you are," the waitress said as she and another waitress brought over their food. The table was almost overcrowded with food, but they somehow made it work.

As the five young shinobi, Guy leaned over to Soi and whispered into her ear. "Do you think Kakashi was kind to Rin today? Or at least let her down gently if she finally told him." Guy pulled away quickly as to not get caught by his self-proclaimed rival. The ravenous look on his face was, in a word, hilarious.

The food Soi had been trying to swallow gracefully got caught in her throat at Guy's comment. Her coughing fit earned her unwanted attention from the rest of the group.

"Are you ok," Ichirou asked from his spot on the other side of Soi.

After getting her coughing under control, she gave her new friend a reassuring smile. "I'm good," she said through one more cough. "I just felt like inhaling my food instead of eating it." Once the others were satisfied, they returned to their meals. Guy was about to place a spoonful of soup in his mouth, but Soi pulled his head over to her by his ear. "What are you talking about," she whispered.

"Did you not know? Rin has had feelings for our Kakashi for years."

"What are the two of you doing," Ichirou asked from the other side of the table.

Both Soi and Guy looked like little children being caught by their parents when they were doing something they knew they weren't supposed to do. Soi let go of Guy's ear and gave her friends a small smile. "I was yanking his ear," she said with all the confidence, and a bit of arrogance, as she could muster.

"Why?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Kakashi rolled his eyes and went back to eating his meals, but Rin and Ichirou's gaze lingered. Her logic was obviously flawed, but it was amusing, so they didn't say anything.

Soi's eyes shot over to Rin and Kakashi once the heat was off of her. The blushing brunet was trying to start a conversation with the silver haired boy to her left, but found herself stumbling over her words. Soi mentally kicked herself for never noticing this before. It had been a few months since she became part of her group of friends, but she never paid attention to anyone else. Although she knew Rin was a bright girl who had the potential to be a great shinobi, she hardly knew anything else about the girl. Now that she thought about it, Soi did remember seeing Rin hang around Kakshi a lot. She'd ask him questions about how to fix her fighting stance or if she was holding her kunai properly during class. Simple things that anyone could have helped her with, but she always went to Kakashi.

Once the small group had finished eating, they decided to split up for the day. Guy, Kakashi, and Soi decided to go back to the school and wait for their friends, while the other two went their separate ways. As Soi and the others waited, she couldn't keep her mind off of what Guy said. She had to know for sure if it was true or not. After have an internal debate about it, Soi decided that she was going to make it her mission in life to know if Rin really did love her friend. If she did, then Soi was going to do everything in her power to get them together.

/\/\

For the next few weeks, Soi kept a close eye on Rin. She'd watch the brunet's actions in class and noticed that what Guy said was true. The lingering gazes and the eternal blush said it all. All Soi needed was to hear it from the girl to bring everything home.

Soi memorized Rin's daily routine since she first started watching Rin. Every morning before class Rin would go to the bathroom right before class started. She used this moment of solitude to her opportunity.

To Rin's dismay, she was the only girl in the bathroom the day Soi decided to ambush her. Soi sat silently on the sink counter, kicking her feet lightly, when Rin stepped out of the stall. Her eyes instantly landed on Soi, who returned her confused look with a cheerful smile. "Hi, Rin."

"Um, hello. What are you sitting on the counter for," she asked moved to the sink to wash her hands.

"Oh, ya know, just sitting here, hanging out." Soi though about how to go about asking Rin how she felt about Kakashi, but couldn't figure out how to say it delicately. Instead, she settled on the only way she knew how to say things, bluntly. "Do you love Kakashi?"

Rin's body went stiff at Soi's question. Her eyes went wide and her face almost turned as bright as a tomato. "W-what?"

"Do. You. Love. Kakash." Soi made sure to say each word clearly so she wouldn't have to say it again. "It's a simple question. Yes or no?"

"Why do you want to know? Do you like him?"

Soi had to fight to keep from laughing at Rin's question. "Are you serious?" Rin nodded her head, her eyes filled with worry and hint of sadness. Seeing Rin's fragile state was enough to send Soi over the edge. Her eye filled with tears as she began laughing. She laughed so hard that she had to struggle for air. "Are you…are you kidding me," she asked through strained breaths. "Oh, Kami, that's funny. That's really funny."

Rin watched in confusion as the girl sitting in front of her was laughing. Never has she seen a person laugh so hard that they made themselves cry. "I don't understand what's so funny."

"The thought of Kakashi and I is hysterical!" Soi looked over at Rin and saw the confusion plastered all over her face. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she said threw her chuckles as she tried to calm herself. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm really not. I just think it's funny that anyone would have a crush on him."

"That's mean of you to say. Isn't he your friend?"

"Yes, which is why it's ok for me to say it. I don't see the attraction, but I guess you do, and for that, I'm I really need to say this. Please, date the boy." Rin's eyes widened in disbelief. "I think you'd be good for him. Unlike that dork, you're a bit of fun. There's no poll up those cute buns of yours," she added with a wink.

"What!"

"I'm just saying, I think you'd be a great way for him to loosen up. Maybe you could teach him to relax." Soi hopped off the counter and walked to the door as Rin stared after her.


	7. Watching Over Her Pt1

AN: I don't now why I keep doing this. I certain someone, and she knows who she is, keeps asking for one more and I keep posting. From now on, I'm not going to look at the comments until a week after I post the chapters. That way I wont see certain pastry asking for more chapters.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 6 – Watching Over Her Pt.1

Kurenai was ecstatic to introduce Kouki to the group. Just like Soi, Kouki was easily accepted into the group by the females. Well, almost everyone accepted him. Kakashi and the other boys were a little wary of him, but still allowed him to stay.

"So, this is what you guys normally do," Kouki asked the girl next to him as he lay gasping for breath on the ground. For his first sparing match the young man was partnered with Soi. Just like the first time they spared, she won. The young man had almost collapsed to the ground at the end of the match. The sparing classes in school never lasted this long and weren't fought this hard.

"Pretty much," Soi replied. The day was hotter than it normally was and the young ninja had gotten exhausted quickly. The hot sun made it almost impossible for them to spar, so they decided to cut the session short. "We should all go swimming again."

"I'm all for that," Anko said from her place on the ground. The seven shinobi were sitting in the cool shade under a large tree at the back of the academy. They were all sweaty and breathing heavy. "Any objections?"

"No," everyone said in unison.

The cool river water felt like Heaven against their heated bodies. Everyone enjoyed playing in the water, even Kakashi. In fact, he was the first one to get into the water.

"Well, look who is having fun," Soi said as she playfully splashed Kakashi in the face. "Who knew you could do it."

"He has his moments," Iruka said as he floated lazily.

"You're both annoying," Kakashi replied.

The rest of the day was spent in the water. Even when the sun fell and the stars came out, none of them even hinted about leaving. When the water got too cooled, everyone got out of the water and laid on the ground. The light wind blew through the grass as the fireflies danced around their heads.

"I'm sleeping here tonight. Who needs a bed," Soi proclaimed. "It's a perfect night. Why not use it?"

Kouki turned his head to the left to look at her. "What about a blanket? It'll get cold eventually."

Soi rolled closer to Kouki and curled up into a ball. She moved as close as she could in order to absorb his body heat. "Problem solved." Her eyes drifted shut and her breaths became even. Soon, if no one disturbed her, she would drift off into a peaceful sleep. Iruka and Genma watched the two knew friends out of the corner of her eye. Monitoring the newcomer and his reaction to Soi. Most people don't like Soi being that close to them, but he didn't seem to mind it. She was happy that he was being so kind to her, but it also struck her as odd.

"You're so affectionate."

"Don't mistake this for affection. I need to be kept warm and he is the closest person to me." Kouki's brows knitted together in confusion. He looked around at the others and saw Anko trying to stifle a laugh. She mouthed him a silent, "she's being sarcastic," before returning to look up at the stars.

Kouki tilted his head to get a better angle to look at the girl next to him. "Oh, so you're using me?"

"More or less."

The violet-eyed boys smiled to himself as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I'm good with that."

Iruka looked around in disbelief to see if anyone else was seeing what she was seeing. Apparently, Guy, Genma, Asuma, and Kakashi had also been watching Soi's little display, but she wasn't the problem. They already knew that Soi was a very affectionate person, when wearing the proper clothing, and didn't care when she did that sort of thing to them. However, Kouki was a different story. They knew nothing about him, but he was treating Soi, well, like a friend. Sure, they were civil to Soi when she first came around, but the only person who was willing to actually touch her was Anko and that's only because she was never in her proper mind. And after the discussion they had at Kakashi's apartment the other day, they were making sure to keep a very close eye on the outsider.

The boys were torn between saying something or letting Kouki be. It was good that someone outside of their group and Soi's family was treating her like a normal person, but at the same time it seemed so strange. He acted as if they had been friends for years, not a day. But instead of creating waves, they let it go. One more person into their dysfunctional group wouldn't hurt, hopefully.

/\/\

After the night by the river, Kouki had become the newest member to the group, sort of. As much as Soi and Kurenai loved having, some of the others had a problem with it. Kakashi and the others watched him like a hawk. There was just something about him that was off, something that they couldn't put their finger on. Whenever he was around, the only person he'd talk was Soi. He practically monopolized her and when she was talking with someone else, he'd inject himself into the conversation. Soi didn't seem to notice, but the others did.

"We're just saying that it's a little weird." After a few weeks of Kouki's behavior, Kakashi and the others finally decided to have a chat with Kurenai.

"Don't you guys think you're over reacting a bit?"

"Don't you think it strange that the only person he wants to be around is Soi? He watches her in class, he follows her places, and he shows up to our sparing matches when he's not invited."

"He's just being friendly."

"When was the last time he hung out with you? Just you. Weren't you the one who brought him into the group?" Kurenai looked at his friends in disbelief. Never had they acted the way they were now. They were normally open-minded people, but now they seemed almost threatened. "And let's be honest, the only person who every hangs all over Soi is Anko. I'm sure if they could stitch each other together, they would. And she doesn't even do it to just Soi. She hangs on all of us, but Kouki isn't like Anko. He only acts that way around Soi. He probably doesn't even notice the rest of us."

"And what about Kakashi catching him following her," Iruka added. "You have to admit that, that is a little unsettling."

Kurenai remained silent. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder, to see Soi, Anko, and Kouki chatting happily about something. The boys had taken her aside to voice their concerns. She didn't want to believe it, but think about everything she had been told led here to one conclusion. But most of all, her friends wouldn't make something like this up. "We should tell Soi."

"That's probably not a good idea," Asuma chimed in.

Kurenai turned her head back to the boys and looked at him in disbelief. "Why?"

"Think about it. Soi isn't going to be happy of accusing him of being a stalker. Until we get more proof, we should lay low and watch."

"I agree with Asuma," Genma added. "There's no reason of making her angry without hard evidence."

Kurenai rolled her eyes at their stupidity before resting her eyes on Kakashi. "What do you think?"

"I think we should keep our mouths shut. Not a word, even to Anko."

"Why?"

"You know Anko. She'll tell Soi in a heartbeat."

Kurenai let out a defeated sigh and nodded. "Fine." With watchful eyes, they returned to where the trio sat laughing. The way they were interacting, an outside would think that there is nothing wrong with the young man.

"Are you guys done with your little pow-wow," Anko asked as she watched her friends walk towards them.

Kurenai replied with a swift, "yep," as she moved to sit next to her friend. Her eyes flickered over to Kouki, whose eyes were glued to Soi's figure, before turning back to her friend.

A moment later, a strained silence filled the air. A chill made its way down Soi's spine as she felt the mood fall. "Well, as fun as it's been, I have to go pick up Tashina from daycare."

It didn't escape anyone's notice, those who were paying attention anyway, the obvious dread that appeared on Kouki's face. It lasted only a moment before being replaced with his typical happiness. "Who's Tashina?"

"My little cousin. For a two year old, she's a demon. The only time she's calm is when she's exhausted."

"I'm pretty sure that's how all infants act."

Soi rolled her eyes before standing up and patting the dirt off her pants. "Well…whatever. I have to watch her today, so I'm taking her to the park so she can play, then pass out when we get home."

Kurenai raised a delicate eyebrow at her friend. "How old are you?"

"Eight."

"And you're watching a two year old?"

"Yep."

The idea of Soi being left in charge of a toddler baffled red-eyed girl. Soi was the type of person who would do the most random things on a whim without think the entire thing through, a trait that isn't good to have around a child. "And you're ok with this?"

"I don't really care. I love the little brat, but she makes me never want to have kids." A couple of her friends chuckled at her response, instantly annoying her. "What? I'm serious. Babies cry all the time, they wake you up in the middle of the night, they poop a lot, and they throw up everything. They're so disgusting." Another round of chuckles escaped from her friends, further irritating her. "Anyway, I'm off. See you guys later." Everyone's eyes were on Soi as she started towards the daycare center. It was on the other side of the village, but her long legs and her fast pace walking would get her there in no time.

Kakashi averted his eyes from his friend and placed them on Kouki. The look in the boy's eyes made him sick. It was a mixture of desire and admiration. It perplexed Kakashi how Kouki could be so obsessed with someone he hardly knew. Dark eyes watched with intense scrutiny as Kouki stood, his body facing the direction of Soi's departure. "I'll go with you," Kakashi said as he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked after her. Soi looked over her shoulder to see the boy following her. "There's nothing else to do today."

Soi gave her friend a brief smile before looking forward. "Nice, Kakashi. You only want to spend time with me because you're bored. It's nice to know where I stand." She tried to fake some sort of pain to reflect her words, but she couldn't hide her smirk. Kakashi rolled his eyes at her, not bothering to reply. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy spending time with her, but his reason for staying by her side this particular days was to make sure the violet-eyed annoyance is not haunting her every step.

Kouki watched with irritation and jealousy as Soi walked away from him with Kakashi. It hadn't slipped his attention that Kakashi had been wary of him ever since that stormy night. He felt the boy's ever watchful gaze upon him and now he was walking off with the object of his affections, no doubt just to spite him.

"I think I'll go too," Kouki said with an all too fake smile. "My mother asked me to help around the house today."

"You're no fun," Anko said as she punched him playfully on the shoulder. "None of you are. I'm out." Kouki watched Anko go with a smirk, her antics reminding him of Soi. Without another word, he turned from his friends and went home.

/\/\

Tashina seemed to be everywhere at once on the playground equipment. First she was on the monkeybars, then the swings, the slide, then back on the swing. "Higher," she screeched as long dirty-blond hair flapped in the wind.

"Start kicking your legs," Soi said as she continued pushing the little girl with one hand. Tashina started kicking her legs frantically, not really helping Soi. "Kick them at the same time. In, out. In, out," but her words fell on deaf ears.

"She's two, Soi. You can't expect her to get it," Kakashi said from his spot next to her.

"Yes I can," she replied flatly.

Besides Tashina's squeals of joy, there was a peaceful silence. There was no need for words, only the need to enjoy the perfect weather and good company. "I want out," Tashina yelled as she tried to get out of the swing as it was moving. "I want out."

Soi rolled her eyes as she stopped the swing and helped the little girl. "Fine, but I'm not putting you back in."

Once her feet were firmly on the ground, Tashina turned to her cousin and stuck out her tongue. "Fine! I wont need you. Kashi will help me."

"It's, "I don't need you,' and his name is Kakashi," Soi shot back.

"I don't care," the two year old yelled as she stormed off towards the slides.

Soi rolled her eyes and flopped herself down on the grass, Kakashi did the same. "Do you make it a habit of arguing with a toddler?"

"Shut it, Kashi," she said with an annoyed smirk, purposely calling him by the wrong name. The two shinobi fell back into a comfortable silence. Soi's dark brown orbs never left her cousin's small form. She watched with joy as the little girl tried to run up the steep slide, only to fail every time. It wasn't until her thoughts drifted to her new friend did she find the need to speak. "You don't like Kouki, do you?"

The question caught Kakashi off guard, but only for a moment. He knew she would catch on eventually, but he didn't think it would be so soon. "No, I don't."

"Why? I see the way you look at him. It's not the same look you gave me when we first met."

Kakashi couldn't tell her exactly why Kouki bothered him, not yet, so he had to pick his words carefully. "There's just something about him that bothers me."

Soi finally looked away from her cousin and gave her focus to Kakashi. He was still looking ahead, watching the little girl climb up the slide, as his mind thought of all he knew about Kouki. "Kakashi, look at me." Although he didn't want to look away from Tashina, feeling that someone should be watching her, he did as he was asked and what he saw shocked him. She was smiling at him, but it wasn't her usual goofy smile. It was gentle and full of love. Her eyes shined back at him with the same emotion. "Please don't worry about him. I'm sure whatever it is that's bothering you is nothing." When she spoke, her voice set his heart to flutter. She was always so playful and sarcastic, but this new Soi was so…different. She was never calm and delicate like she was now. "Besides," she said as she gently nudged his shoulder, her smirk returning, "I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Sheepishly, Kakashi turned his attention back to Tashina, his small smile hidden under his mask. He wanted so badly to tell her that it wasn't his safety that he feared for, but hers. Instead, he opted to stand by her side and watch over her in silence.

"Besides, you should turn all that attention towards someone who deserves it. Someone with pretty brown hair." Kakashi looked over at the girl next to him, who was grinning from ear to ear. "I believe a certain someone might enjoy that attention."

"What are you talking about?"

Soi's mind raced with mischievous thoughts. "I'm not sure if you know this, but there is this girl in our class. Her name is Rin and I think, although I might be wrong about this, but I think she has a thing for you." Soi gave him a quick wink, her voiced laced with amusement and sarcasm.

Kakashi looked at her with total confusion. "Why are you talking about Rin?" Never had she brought up his love life, or lack there of, or Rin. For all he knew, she never even talked to Rin aside from the lunch they had the day of the scavenger hunt.

"No reason in particular. I was just thinking that maybe if you spent some time with her," Soi caught the outline of his lips through his mask, noting that he was about to interupt, but beat him to it, "and didn't treat her like a pest, you might loosen up a bit."

"We're not having this conversation."

"Come on, Kakashi. You can talk to me about anything."

His eyes fixed themselves on her, annoyance radiating off of them. "Understand this. I don't like Rin in that way. She's not my type."

"Then what is your type?" Soi caught onto the obvious shock that struck her face. He cast his eyes to the ground. "You don't even know what your type is, do you," she asked in amusement. When he didn't reply, she didn't restrain herself from bursting out into a fit of laughter. "Oh, Kakashi. You're so adorable."

/\/\

Kouki's POV  
Being around Soi was like being in a dream. The way her tight curls blew in the wind and how her eyes glistened in the sunlight was the type of beauty that even angels couldn't have. And it wasn't just her physical beauty, but the loving person the lives within. I knew that from the moment I first saw her that we were meant to be together. It was like lighting had struck me a thousand times. Just being in the same room with her makes my heart flutter. Being partnered with Kurenai was definitely a sign from above. Now all I have to do is get her away from the others, especially Kakashi.

I'm not sure what is problem is with me, but I don't really care. What does bother me is that he thinks he owns my angel. She's not some sort of toy that he can play with whenever he feels like it. He has Kurenai and the others to keep him occupied, that should be enough.

"Kouki," my mother gasped as I burst through the front door. "You're home early." She was standing in the kitchen preparing something that smelled grotesque and looked it too. Nonetheless, I was in too good a mood to say anything. Instead, I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading for the closet in the hallway to grab the cleaning supplies. "And you're in a good mood."

"I was with Soi."

"Ah, that girl again." I could hear the amusement in her voice, which only made me smile more. "When are you going to bring your new girlfriend around so I can meet her?"

"She's not my girlfriend, ma. Not yet."

"Either way, I want to meet her."

/\/\

AN: No more, Éclair! You're done for a week.


	8. Watching Over Her Pt2

AN: Hello all. The next five days are going to be hhhhhhheeeeellllllllll for me. Lucky you guys, I have three and a half chapters finished. So instead of updating on Monday (which I would have no time to do), I'm going to do this now. That way I don't have to think about it all weekend. Be warned, this will probably never happen again.

Also, apparently there is a new option that allows for covers for stories. Anyone want to make a cover for Unexpected and Coming Home? One a scale of one to ten, my artistic abilities is a negative seven, but I'd love it if someone made some covers.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 6 – Watching Over Her Pt.2

It had been three days since that day in the park, but Kakashi continued to monitor Kouki's movements. If Kakashi was with Soi, then one of the others were, but Kouki made good on his word. He had kept his distance from Soi, more or less, and everything seemed to be fine. The only time he was around her was in class or the sparing practices after school. However, while Soi's personal guards were busy watching over Kouki, they missed the other danger lingered in the air.

A girl with fiery red hair and stunning green eyes approached Soi one day before class started. Soi caught a glimpse of the girl out of the corner of her eye, but paid her no mind. She had never talked to the girl before and figure that this time would be no different. "Excuse me," a shy, but perky voice asked. "Soi?"

Soi looked over at the girl after taking a quick look around them. They were alone, so of course she was the only person the girl could be talking to. "Yes."

"I was wondering if you…um….could give me some help after school." The girl's never once looked at Soi. She looked anywhere except to the girl before her, which didn't go unnoticed by Soi, but she was ok with it. The unknown girl before her was, in a way, taking a risk by talking to her. Soi was still disliked by many of her classmates, so knowing that the girl before her was breaking the social norm must be terrifying. "I've been having some problems with my taijutsu and I thought you could give me a few pointers. I know you and Guy are the best in class and I thought that…well…"

"I'll help you," Soi replied almost too enthusiastically. "Guy and I practice a few times a week after school. You could join us." She wanted to make the process as easy as she could for the girl and if that meant making Guy help her, she was going to do it.

"Actually, I was thinking if you'd come out to Training Field 3. It's not just me who needs help and a group of us are meeting there after school."

"Yeah, I'll be there. I'm sure Guy wouldn't have a problem coming either."

"No," the girl yelled as she finally looked up at Soi. "Just you. I don't…I don't want to bother anyone else."

"Umm, ok," Soi said, her voice wavering with confusion and worry. The girl before was obviously scared of being around her, which made Soi wonder as to why the girl was asker her for help. "I'm sorry, I'm terrible with names. What's your name?"

"I'm Ami."

"Ami, why are you asking me for help. It's not that I'm not flattered, but you don't seem very comfortable around me."

"I asked you because you're the best and I want to get stronger. The only way to do that is to learn from the best."

Soi mauled the idea over in her mind a few times before deciding that the response was good enough. There was no reason for Ami to lie to her, so there was no reason for Soi to not take her word. "I'll be at Training Field 3 right after school." She gave Ami a sweet, reassuring smile before heading off to class, Ami fallowing right behind her.

After taking several steps through the door, the two girls went their separate ways. Soi went to sit by Anko while Ami went to sit by Ukyo. With her eyes transfixed on the table before her, Ami spoke in a hush voiced. "We'll be there."

/\/\

Just like she had promised, Soi showed up at Training Field 3 right after school. She didn't have to wait long for Ami to show up, which proved to Soi that Ami really wanted her help.

"The others aren't here yet, so if you wouldn't mind waiting for a few more minutes…"

"No worries," Soi replied with a smile. Ami hadn't met her gaze since she arrived on the training grounds, but having her show up was enough for Soi. Granted that Ami was the one who asked for her help, but she half expected for the red-head not to show up. "So, what exactly do you need help with? Stance? Flow? Balance?"

"Umm, a little bit of everything."

Soi couldn't help but laugh. "Ok, I can work with that," she sad while give Ami another smile.

As the two waited in silence for the other to make their arrival, Soi thought about the best way to go about the practice. Odds were that none of them wanted her to touch them, so she began thinking of way that she could teach without having to touch anyone. It would be terribly annoying to have to teach that way, but she was more than willing to try.

"Sorry we're late," an all too familiar and annoying voice spoke as an arrogant young man four other boys walked into the training grounds. "Sensei needed our help."

Of course the person standing before the girls was none other than Ukyo. Seeing him stand before her, smirk with some unrealistic level of arrogance, made Soi want to punch his face in. She had forgiven him for the outburst in class, but she hadn't forgiven him for the way he treated her. If they passed each other in the halls, he'd do his best to trip her. He was never successful at it, but it bugged the crap out of her. He had also started spreading rumors about how all of Soi's accidental slips actually happened on purpose.

"Hey, Ukyo." Soi had to force herself to sound friendly when all she really wanted to do was beat him into the next century. "I didn't think you needed extra help."

"I'll do anything to get a good grade." Soi noticed that the four other boys slowly started to branch out and form a large circle around her and Ami. She couldn't put a name to any of their faces, which meant they weren't much of a threat. If they had been strong, she would've remembered them from class. Instead, they were the typical students. Only doing the bare minimum to pass without actually working hard to become great shinobi.

By the way that they were acting, it wasn't hard to guess what was coming next, but Soi wanted to hear the facts straight out. "Ami, what's going on?"

Ami didn't look up at Soi. Instead, she continued to stare at the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered as a single tear fell from her beautiful green eyes, "but I'm too scared to have you around." Soi turned her head to get a better look at the girl, which only fuelled Ami's fear of her. Ami darted over to Ukyo, quickly whispered, "I'm sorry, brother," into Ukyo's ear, then left.

"You'll have to forgive her. She's not the type for dirty tricks," Ukyo said as he reached into his back pocket and took out a kunai. The four other boys followed his lead; show Soi who exactly the ringleader was in this little game. "My sister's not like me. I often wonder who she made it this far in the academy."

"Oh, for the love of Kami, stop talking," Soi said as she scratched the back of her head. Her tone was borderline bored. "If you guys are done pretending to be badasses, I'm gonna go home." The whole scenario was extremely amusing to her, so much so that she couldn't help, but smirk. Soi was one of the best students in her class and that was without having to use her kekkei genkai. She had fought against all of her friends, who were also top ranked students, and won almost every match. Fight the boys before her would be a piece of cake, but extremely fun to be able to put them in their place.

Ukyo's once cocky face turned south, show his displeasure to Soi's attitude. He had been planning this ambush for weeks and Soi was not playing the role he had pictured in his mind. Soi was supposed to be terrified, perhaps even crying hysterically. He was going to give her an ultimate, quit the academy or never see the light of day again.

"Ukyo, she's not scared," one of the unknown boys yelled.

"Scared," Soi asked as she looked over her shoulder to the boy who spoke. She gave him one of her mischievous grins before giggling. "You'd need a lot more than five children to scare me."

"Hey, we're older than you," another boy yelled.

Soi turned her head back around to face Ukyo. Although he wasn't the one that spoke, he was the one who she wanted to relay her message too. "It doesn't matter that you guys are two, maybe even three years older than me. None of you have what it takes to stand up to me." Even though her trademark grin was still plastered on her face, something about her demeanor changed. Her voice was much darker than it normally was, enough so that it sent chills down Ukyo's back. And her eyes…they were terrifying. There was nothing in them; they were void of all emotion.

"Ukyo, this isn't cool anymore," one of the boys said. His voice was shaking, a clear sign that Soi was getting to him.

"I don't think you're friends are having much fun," Soi said, her eyes never moving off of Ukyo. "However, I'm enjoying myself." She tilted her head ever so lightly to the side, her smile never fading. "Knowing that I can make you freeze on the spot with just a look is really funny."

Soi's manner was enough to send Ukyo over the edge. Everything about her screamed arrogant. She was calm, where he was on edge. She was smiling, while he was doing his best to hide his displeasure. It was sickening and he had to put a stop to it.

In his mind, killing her would be the most honorable thing he would ever do. She was a danger to her fellow students and to anyone in the village. He had heard rumors of her for years, but never paid any mind to them until a few weeks before she was transferred into his class. When his younger brother had told him what had happened to Minazu, his world went read. What happened to Minazu could've easily happened to his brother, maybe worse, and that was a risk he knew he couldn't take. His brother, or anyone else, wasn't going to get hurt or possibly die because of her.

Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who thought this way. Many students, and even parents, felt the same way when it came to Soi. She was too dangerous to be around people and needed to be dealt with.

Without thinking of the consequences, Ukyo sprang forward. All he wanted to do was get rid of her, to end his fears. It would be simple; she would be his first kill. After all, all shinobi have to kill at some point.

The entire time he was charging her, Soi didn't move an inch. Instead, she stood there, smiling at him without a care in the world. It wasn't until Ukyo was five feet away and the sight of blood brought Soi into reality.

It wasn't until all movement stopped did Soi's brain register what had happened. Laying on the ground, cradling his face, lay Ukyo. Blood was seeping through his fingers as he cried in pain. Standing a few feet in front of her was her violet-eyed savior. The left palm was bleeding profusely from grabbing Ukyo's kunai by the blade and ripping it out of his hands.

"Don't. Touch. Her," Kouki spoke, his eyes permanently fixed on the fallen Ukyo. His voice was cold and ridge, each word spoken with a level of authority so intense that it scattered Ukyo's four helpers, leaving him lying on the ground alone.

"Kouki?" The boy looked up to see dark brown eyes looking back at him in shock. Instantly, his gaze softened, turning back into the loving eyes Soi knew so well.

"Hey," he said softly, giving her a gentle smile. "Are you ok?"

"Am I ok? What the Hell did you do," Soi yelled as she lifted his wounded hand. Kouki slowly pulled back his fingers, releasing the bloody kunai, and letting it fall to the ground. His palm was covered in blood, but he mad no sign of it hurting. "Why did you do that? I had it under control."

"That's what they wanted. For you to fight back. That would prove that you're reckless and dangerous."

"But they're the ones who…never mind. We need to go to the hospital."

"Kouki gently took his hand back from her and inspected the wound. "It doesn't look too bad."

"Are you kidding me! You're going to need stitches."

Kouki's face twisted into pure disgust at the thought of stitches. "I think I'd rather let it heal on it's own." Ever since he had been around Soi, he was like an open book. He told her everything she wanted to know, but the one thing he hadn't gotten around to telling her was how much he hated hospitals. Well, he hated the smell of them.

"Don't be an idiot," Soi said as she grabbed him by the forearm and started pulling him towards the village. "You're getting it looked at." Kouki tried to wiggle out of her grip in protest, but it did little good. All she did was tighten her hold on him and threaten him a bit. "If you don't go willingly, I will break your legs and drag you there myself." Her voice was deep and demanding, no trace of her typical happy self was nowhere to be seen. But the look in her eyes betrayed her voice. Her brown orbs showed that she was more scared than anything else. Not for herself, but for her friend. He had come out of know where and rescued her, something no one had ever done for her before, but he was injured in the process.

The look in her eyes was what made Kouki stop resisting. The fear in her eyes didn't suit her, but the other thing he found was what ultimately made him stop fighting. There was love. If he had asked her about it, she would have said, flat out, that she did love him. She loved him like a dear friend, like Iruka or Kurenai, but it was love all the same. Love mixed with fear and concern. That deadly combination destroyed his walls and allowed him to follow her blindly to the hospital.

/\/\

Kouki's POV  
I hate hospitals…a lot. They smell like disease, if it had a smell, but I didn't want to say no to Soi. Actually, I couldn't. I'd do anything she'd ask of me.

When we got to the hospital, she didn't leave my sides. Not even for a moment. As the doctors worked on my left hand, she held tightly onto my right one. "Is he going to be ok?"

"He'll be fine," the doctor said, not looking up from my hand. "As long as he keeps it cleaned and wrapped, it'll heal in no time. I'm guessing you go to the academy."

"Yes sir," I replied quickly.

"I'll write you a not. I don't want you doing anything strenuous for a while." I nodded my head. That meant I wouldn't partake in ninjutsu or taijutsu class for a while. Once the doctor was done he cleaned up his equipment and said that he'd return with a note and prescription for painkillers if I decided to take them.

When the door closed behind the doctor, Soi grabbed for my left hand and did the unthinkable. She kissed my palm. Even through the wraps and gazes, I could feel the heat of her lips on wound. "A kiss makes everything better," she said as she dropped my hand. Her arms circled themselves around my neck as she gently pulled me towards her for a hug. "Thank you for what you did." Her voice was calm and even, but I could hear a twinge of sadness. Something that definitely didn't suit her. "But," she pulled back all too soon and punched me in the shoulder. "I had everything under control."

"You're welcome," I replied with a laugh as I rubbed my shoulder. "I'm just surprised Kakashi wasn't there for you."

Her brows knitted together in as she titled her head. I wonder if she knows she tilts her head when she's confused or thinking. "What do you mean? Why would he have followed me?"

"I told him a few weeks ago that Ukyo was planning something. I though he would've told you."

"He didn't tell me anything."

"Oh, well. Maybe he forgot." I watched her closely as my words sunk in. Kakashi's inability to watch over properly was just what I needed. Now she'd be able to see that I can protect her better than anyone else. After all, Kakashi might be a strong shinobi, but his abilities are limited. He plays by the rules where as I would do anything. He would only go as far as he needed, where as I would go farther. He wasn't good enough for her.

"Why…why were you out there? Were you following me?"

"No. I was out for a run and overheard you guys." That was a lie. Thankfully she didn't catch me in it. I hated lying to her, it felt wrong. It was worse than any sin I could ever commit. "I originally was going to run to the river and back, but I decided to change up my normal jogging routine. It's a good thing too. I've wanted to punch Ukyo in the face since the day you arrived."

Soi giggle that melodic laughter I loved so much. That sound would never grow old. It was so beautiful and soothing. "You probably broke his nose."

"He deserves it."

"Agreed."

/\/\

"I heard all six of them only jumped Soi because they were afraid of here. I also heard they were expelled," Anko said as she gazed up into the clear blue sky.

"Since it was a shinobi academy related issue, dad had to be notified about it," Asuma added from his comfy spot in the grass. "Dad got so upset that he banned them from ever being let back into the academy."

"Serves them right," Genma said from his place in the shade. "They're lucky that Kouki saved them. I can't imagine what you would've done to them."

Genma's eyes drifted to Soi, who was currently in a green protective cage. Ever since Guy had found out about what had happened at the training grounds, he hadn't left Soi out of his sight. He went so far as to sleeping over at her house for three days in a row just to stay close to her. She was currently sitting on his lap, not by choice, and being squished against his chest. His powerful arms formed a protective cage around her, keeping her in place while preventing from getting close to her.

"Yeah, it would've been great," Soi muttered with an eye roll. "Guy, can you please let go? It's getting hard to breath."

"No," Guy said in a booming voice. "I wont let anything happen to my youthful flower."

_Kami, help me_, Soi thought to herself. _I'm never going to have a moment to myself again._

All of her friends and family had been livid when they heard about what happened. Her mother went ballistic on the parents of the six students and projected her leftover anger at the school. She figured that the teachers should've known about it considering Ukyo and the others had been planning the ambush for weeks.

"Guy, please let go. It's too hot," Soi whined. It had been a particularly hot day in the Leave Village. Way too hot for after school sparing. Instead, the group of shinobi opted to go to the river. Kurenai, Iruka, and Anko were the only ones who got in the water while the others sat under the cool shadow of the trees or laid in the long grass.

"No!"

"Please! I'll stay right here, I promise." It took some convincing from Genma and Asuma for Guy to consider letting her go. It wasn't until she batted her long lashes at him and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek for him to let her go.

During the entire incident, Kakashi kept to himself. When he heard that Soi had been involved in an ambush, failed or not, frightened him. He blamed himself for not keeping a closer eye on her, but he also thought back to the night in the rain. He couldn't get Kouki's words out of his head. Had Kouki known all along that something was going to happen? Did he intentionally not say anything?

"Soi," Kakashi said in voice, more distant than normal, as he stood from his seat under the large tree that shaded him and his friends. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," Soi said as she bounced up from her spot. She was all too eager to put some distance between her and Guy. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for the attention he was giving her, but she couldn't take being treated like a glass doll. It drove her crazy.

"Don't let her out of your sight, Kakashi," Guy yelled as he watched Soi and Kakashi disappear into the woods. He didn't get a reply, but it wasn't as if he was expecting one.

When they had gotten far enough way from the group to Kakashi liking, the silver haired boy finally decided to open up. "What were you thinking?"

"I-"

"You could've gotten hurt." Kakashi voice changed from his typical calm to a more annoyed toned.

"But-"

"You could've gotten yourself killed."

Soi took a step closer to him and covered his masked mouth with her hand. "Will you let me speak?" She waited for Kakashi to reply, but all he did was nod. "Thank you," she said as she withdrew her hand. "Kakashi, I didn't know what was going on until it happened. Nothing was going to happen to me and you know it."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you were careless. Didn't it seem strange to you that someone who never spoke to you would asked you for a favor out of the blue?"

"Yes, but…I don't know. I had no reason to think she was lying." The two fell silent for a few moments. Kakashi understood, to some degree, why she did it, but couldn't understand why she wouldn't have told someone what she was doing. But what she said next annoyed him even more. "Kouki told me that you knew about Ukyo and what he was planning. Is that true?"

Kakashi looked at her with disbelief. "Of course not. Why would I let someone hurt you?"

Soi shrugged her shoulders and looked away. "I don't know. Maybe you just forgot or didn't take him seriously." Now that she thought about it, it did seem stupid. Kakashi wasn't the type to let something like this slip.

"If I had know it was going to happen, I would've prevented it. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

Soi looked back up at him, eyes full of wonder. It wasn't the first time that he said something like this and each time he did, something changed within her. She couldn't understand why he always seemed to treat her this way, but she liked it. She liked knowing that someone always had her back and worried about her safety. Someone she could always rely on.

"Thank you for worrying about me," she said in a calming voice, but there was something else there. Something that neither of them recognized, but what she did next shocked them both. It wasn't the speed of Soi's movements that put Kakashi on edge, but why she moved. Her warms were wrapped tightly around him, her head lying in the crook of his neck. "Thank you for being a good friend."

It had been years since anyone hugged Kakashi and with such affection. It felt foreign to him, but it also felt right, like he was in the safest place in the world and that nothing could touch him. As she pulled away, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before head back in the direction that they came. It took him a moment to register that she was leaving him, so willed his body to follow her. Silently, they made their way back to their companions.

/\/\

Kakashi had kept his distance from Kouki for a few days, not wanting to stir up any trouble, but he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself anymore. The group of shinobi to be were sitting in Soi's living room, waiting for dinner to finish. Umeko wanted to make a special dinner to thank Kouki for his heroics, but of course the others were invited to. Kakashi waited for the opportune moment when he could get Kouki alone. When the violet-eyed shinobi offered to set the dinner table, Kakashi jumped at the chance to help him. He knew confronting Kouki at that moment wasn't the best time, but it was the first chance he got to talk to Kouki without someone being around.

"Did you know what Ukyo was planning?" Kakashi made sure his voice was low enough so that only Kouki could hear, but still held enough anger to show his displeasure about what happened.

Kouki looked over at him quickly before starting to set plates on the long table. "I told you something would happen."

"Why didn't you speak up? The whole thing could've been prevented."

Kouki didn't bother hiding his smile as he thought back to the night in the rain. He was livid that someone had dared come between him and Soi, but the interference seemed to work out in his favor. "Wasn't that you're job? You told me not to follow her, so I figured you had everything under control." Kouki's violet eyes darted over to Kakashi, nothing but amusement shining in them. "She trusts me, why can't you?"

As if on cue, the girl in question waltzed into the room carry a large pot of soup. "You guys take forever in setting a table." Kakashi watched Kouki as Soi's new savior watched her. "Hurry up, dinner is almost ready." Both boys watched her escape into the kitchen to get more food.

Kakashi turned his gaze back to the boy in front of him. "Whatever you're doing, stop. Just stay away from Soi."

All of Kouki's pleasantries disappeared at Kakashi's words. This was the second time Kakashi had told him to stay away from Soi and it was even more irritating than the first time. "Not a chance."

/\/\

Soi's POV  
Dinner today was crazy. Everyone kept talking about what had happened and it drove me up the wall. All I wanted to do was forget about it, but no one wanted to drop it. The only person who laughed about it was Anko. She was the only other person, beside myself, who found it amusing. But of course that didn't sit well with mom and Obaasan. One look from them silenced Anko and I.

While my family sang praise after praise to my rescuer I couldn't help but notices that my friends weren't impressed. Although they all agreed that what Kouki did was honorable, the looks they were giving him were terribly unpleasant, especially Kakashi's. I don't know what was going on with those two, but they need to fix whatever it is.

By the time everyone left, I was ready for bed. I was sick and tired of all the attention I was receiving. I hate being the center of attention, it drove me crazy.

After I said my nightly, "goodnights," and "I love yous," to my family, I started for the stairs. All I wanted to sleep and never wake up. "Soi, don't go to bed yet," my mother called from the lounge. "I need to talk to you." That was never good. Whenever my mom said things like that, it always meant something was up. She was probably going to give me another lecture on how being a shinobi is dangerous and that I should drop out of the academy.

I walked into the lounge and stood in the center of the room. My mom and step-dad were sitting on the massive couch, grinning at me from ear to ear. "We have something we want to tell you."

Since they were grinning, I figure what they had to tell me was good news. After my little incident, I figured that they would finally give me the one thing I had been asking for since I was three. "You guys are finally going to let me have a cat!"

"What, no you dork," Jun said. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. If I wasn't getting a cat, then whatever they were planning wasn't worth my time. "You're going to be a big sister."

My lungs seemed to stop functioning, as my eyes grew wide. If my eyes had widened any further I'm sure they would've fallen out of my head. I looked over to my mom for some sort of confirmation, anything. In return, she gave me a big smile and patted her stomach. "We just found out today that it's a boy." I had never thought about have a younger sibling. I had three cousins and we are as close as siblings, but now…now I actually had one.

I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what. I know I should have, but I couldn't. Instead, I sprang forward and hugged them both. Normally I'm not one for tears, but I didn't bother to try and stop the ones that cascaded down my face. I was going to be a big sister and I couldn't wait to see my little brother.


	9. For Her

AN: Because EclairDesigns was kind enough to draw some really amazing fanart for this story I am posting another chapter early. Thank you, Éclair!

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 7 – For Her

Graduation was right around the corner and Soi and her friends couldn't be happier.

"It's about time," Anko said as she took another lick of her ice-cream. "Graduation took forever to get here."

"Not for me," Soi said with a smirk. Anko lightly nudged her friend, knowing full well that Soi was graduating earlier than the rest of them. "I wonder if we'll be partnered with each other."

"I hope not," Genma said. "Not either of you, anyway. No offence, but I'd go crazy if I had to spend almost every day with either of you."

Soi squinted her eyes at Genma. "You practically spend every day with us already."

"But I don't need to spend more time with you."

Anko and Soi rolled their eyes in unison. Instead of continuing the conversation, they were too busy daydreaming about their graduation day. It was so close, but seemed like months away. Soon, they'd be genin and would be expected to accomplish missions. It was like a dream come true.

/\/\

The cool night air was a welcomed relief to Adatta. Iwagakure's nights were often muggy and too humid for his tastes. The streetlights and the neon sighs in the windows of many stores illuminated the street just enough for him to be able to see what was in front of him. Although it was eleven o'clock at night, the small street was packed full of people. Most of them were inebriated, but that was to be expected in this part of town. But none of this mattered. He'd do anything for his little girl, even ask for a favor that was too great to ask for.

It took him a little while to find the bar he was looking for, but he swiftly made his way inside when he found it. The air was thick with the smell of liquor and smoke, two things that he hated. Adatta was never much of a drinker and the burning smell of smoke always gave him a headache. His eyes racked through the sea of people until he finally found the person he was looking for. He made his way through the crowed of drunkards and was relieved when he was finally able to sit down.

"You're late," the woman sitting a crossed the table said in a slurred voice.

"Sorry, I got a little lost." The woman before him pushed a glass and a bottle of Sake to him, but her politely turned it down. "So…why did you pick this place?"

"It's my favorite bar," she replied flatly.

There was a brief silence between them before Adatta decided to make the first move. He dug into his pockets and took at two pieces of paper. The first was a photo of his pride and joy, the second was a note. He handed both of them to her before leaning farther back in his chair. "She writes me a couple of times a month to let me know how she's doing."

Light brown eyes carefully scanned of the photo. "She's cute. She has to be at least seven by now."

"Eight," Adatta corrected.

"How time flies." The woman smiled before turning her attention to the note. Her eyes scanned the note for anything of importance. Apparently, the girl in the photo had gotten into some trouble at school with a boy named Ukyo. Then the letter goes on to say how excited she is that graduation was only a few weeks away and hoping that she'd get to see her father before graduation. "What does all this have to do with me," she asked as she returned the papers.

Adatta returned his belongings to the safety of his pocket before letting out a heavy sigh. "I need a favor from you."

"I figured. Asking to see me out of the blue was my first clue."

"It's a really big favor, sensei."

"Asking is free. The chances of me actually doing it are another story."

Adatta's fingers clanked against the table, his tell tale sign that he was anxious. He had been waiting for weeks to see his old sensei again, but he knew that there was a slim chance she would do what he asked. "I need you to go back to Konoha-"

"Not a chance."

"And see if the Third will let you be her sensei after graduation."

"No," she said before taking a giant sip of Sake. "Anything else?"

Adatta let out another sigh. He knew this was going to be difficult, but he had forgotten how stubborn his old teacher could be. "It wont be permanent."

"I'm not going back."

"Sensei, she needs proper teacher."

"Konoha has many qualified shinobi at its disposal. Get one of them to help you. I'm sure Jiraiya would jump at the chance to hang around an attractive young girl. Better yet, train her yourself. I'm sure the Hokage would love to see you again." The woman's voice grew bitter as she thought back to her old life. He had left the Leaf years ago and had no reason to return.

"Just hear me out. You know how dangerous my family's kekkei genkai can be. Without the proper training, she could end up hurting someone, even killing them. You know chakra control better than anyone in the shinobi world. I know you can help her."

"Jiraiya and Orochimaru are just as good."

"But they're not at your level and you know it. They might be Sanin, but they don't have your level of control."

"Like I said before, you train her or transfer her to Iwa to be with the rest of the Mouki's."

"Sensei-"

The woman raised a hand in protest, silencing her ex-student. "Adatta, I'm not going back. I've had enough of that place."

"I'm begging you. This wont be permanent. I have very important work to do in Iwa, work I can't ignore. I know that I'm close to finishing my work, I can feel it. Once I'm done I'll return to Konoha and ask the Third to switch us. You can leave and never have to look back." The woman looked down at the Sake bottle on the table. She knew her ex-student knew why she didn't want to go back, but here he was, asking her to do it anyway. "Please, Tsunade-sensei. I've been keeping in contact with Jiraiya too and he said many of the shinobi who are willing to train Soi's graduating class are afraid that she'll be placed in their squad. I know you wouldn't care or treat her differently."

The legendary medical shinobi lifted her eyes to look at her ex-student, her favorite student. She had turned him into the shinobi he was today. He had quickly become of the greatest medical minds the world had ever seen, second only to her. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride when looking at him, knowing that all the great things he had accomplished was because of her.

"If I do this, you know that you're never allowed to ask me for anything again, right?"

"Absolutely."

Tsunade let out a heavy sigh, already regretting her decision. "Fine."

/\/\

Tsunade was cursing Adatta with all of her being. She wanted nothing more than to head to Iwa and break him in half. For years she had successfully avoided the Leaf and now she was being dragged back into its clutches. She had left the world of the shinobi behind in favor of a more alcohol filled live. Now she couldn't drink as much because she had children to watch over, which only made her angrier.

_I'm going to kill him. He's a dead man_, she chanted over and over again in her head.

When she reached the village, she noticed that not much has changed. There were a few new buildings that she didn't recognize and some shops had been moved around, but it wasn't enough to throw her off track. Once she passed through the Great Gates, she headed straight for the Hokage's tower. She could hear a few citizens and shinobi gasp in surprise as she walked through the dirt streets. No one had thought that they'd ever see the legendary Sanin again, but there she was.

The Hokage's tower was as disgusting as she remembered. It was supposed to be a symbol of hope and power for the people, but all she saw was a building full of lies. There was a time when she looked upon the building with pride, but now it made her want to punch it and watch it crumble to the ground.

As she walked thought the halls of the tower, several shinobi bowed to her out of respect. All she did was blow past them without giving them so much as a courteous looked. By the time she stood outside of the Hokage's office, she could hear voices on the inside. Three voices that she never wanted to hear again.

As her hand reached for the doorknob, she thought about leaving. There was still enough time for her to make her getaway and return to the live she was living. The drunken, gambling live with Shizune. She had left her prodigy back at their little town. She figured that she wouldn't be gone long and let Shizune have a "vacation" from her.

When she finally opened the door, three sets of eyes looked upon her with shock. Of course everyone from her old team would be in the Hokage's office at once. Her luck wasn't good enough for to be able to speak to the Third alone.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya said in wonder. "You're…back."

"Not for long," she said as she walked further into the room and stopped only a few feet short of the Hokage's desk. She looked directly at her old sensei, not bothering to give her teammates the light of day. "Mouki Soi is to graduate in three days. I'm here to offer to be her teacher."

The Third smiled politely at the feisty blond before him. "It's good to see you too, Tsunade. Adatta sent me a message and said that you were coming."

_Of course he did,_ Tsunade thought to herself as her anger grew.

"I will make sure to notify the academy of your request. I'm sure she'll be happy to know that-"

"Where can I stay," she interrupted. All she wanted to do was find a nice, quiet place to rest. She didn't want to talk to anyone, especially her old teammates.

The Third took a folder out of his desk and handed it to her. Inside was the address of her new home and several other papers she needed to fill out. "I have everything ready for you. All you have to do is sign the papers." Tsunade snatched the folder out of his hand and quickly looked them over. After scanning the pages she closed the folder and started towards the door. "I'm happy you're back, Tsunade."

"I'm only here for the girl. Don't look too much into it." With a fierce slam of the door, the blond was gone.

"It's good to know she's still feisty," Jiraiya said playfully as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The Hokage leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Don't push her, Jiraiya. She's angry enough as it is."

"She said she's back for the girl. Why would she return for a student," Orochimaru asked.

"Mouki Soi is Adatta's daughter. You know how much she loves Adatta. He was her first student. He asked her to teach his daughter until he can come back to Konoha."

Jiraiya laughed as he thought about Adatta using what little power he had over Tsunade. "When is he coming back?"

"I'm not sure. He told me that he is working on something big, but will return when he's done with it."

"Why can't he do it here?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure he has his reasons. Anyway, we should get back to the business at hand. I need one more person to teach the graduating class. Which one of you will do it?"

Jiraiya laughed again, amused that his ex-teacher was more or less forcing one of them to teach. "Not me. I've already paid my dues."

The Third smiled at Jiraiya's reaction as he looked to Orochimaru for his answer. "I'll do it." The Third nodded his head in agreement with his ex-student before dismissing them.

"Jiraiya," the Hokage called right before the Toad Sage was about to leave the room. "Don't push Tsunade."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said with a smile.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
It was finally graduation day. It felt like forever to finally get here, but today was the day that we were assigned our new teams.

"It sucks that we wont be able to be with each other," Anko said from my side.

"I know, but will always have our old sparing matches," I said overdramatically. It was a rule that there was supposed to be one female student per team. It sucked, but it taught the students how to interact and live with the opposite sex.

The class was buzzing with excitement everyone was talking about who they may or may not be partnered up with, but everyone zipped their mouths when Yasushi-sensei walked into the room. "Well, you all know that today is the day that you all will be receiving your groups. I'd like to say that it has been an honor teaching every single one of you and I know that you're all going to become extraordinary shinobi." Yasushi-sensei's little speech was heartwarming and all, but he needed to quit the sappy stuff and move on to naming the groups. Thankfully, after a few more parting words, he did. He looked down at his desk and pick up a single piece of paper. He glanced over it quickly before reading from the list. "After I call your names, I will give you instructions as to where you are to meet your team leader. Team One will be lead by Orochimaru."

"Oooooh, a Sanin is going to be a teacher," Anko whispered into my ear. "Awesome."

"Anko-"

"YES," she yelled as she threw her hands up in the air. "I get a Sanin for a teacher." Everyone in the class looked at her. I tried my best not to laugh, so instead I put my head on the table and banged my head against it a few times. She really is something else.

"You can sit down now, Anko," Yasushi-sensei said with a hint of annoyance. I lifted my head just enough to watch her sit down, a fresh grin plastered on her face. "Kobik and Ebisu. The three of you are to report to the Great Gate."

I listened intently, or as hard as I could with Anko beside me, for my name to be called or that of my friends. Two more teams went by before Yasushi-sensei spoke of anyone of interest. "Team Four. Rin, Kakashi, and Obito are to report to Training Ground 1 to meet Namikaze Minato." I silently did a little dance in my seat when I heard Rin was partnered with Kakashi. The scowl on his face was visible from my spot in the room and so was her obvious joy. Hopefully she wouldn't screw up this great chance and would make Kakashi fall in love with her.

"Team Five, with Catsuko Jiro as team leader, is Kurenai, Iruka, and Genma. The three of you will meet you sensei downstairs in the gym." All three of them smiled as their names were called. It was great that they were partnered together, but it made me worry. The chances of being partnered with Kouki, Guy, or Asuma were slim.

Teams Six and Seven held no meaning for me. They were filled with students that I didn't care for, so I turned out, but Team Eight caught my attention. "Lita, Guy, and Asuma are to report to Training Ground 4 to meet Surre Sorin." With Guy and Asuma assigned to another team, the chances of me being partnered with Kouki were slim. As much as I wanted to be partnered with a friend, I started to think being assigned with someone else would be ok. Sure, whoever I'm partnered with would have to get over their issues with me, if they had them, but meeting new people would be fun.

With eight teams down, there was only three to go. I perked up and waited for my name to be called. "Team Nine is to go to Training Ground 2 to meet…Tsunade." Several people in the room gasped at the name. Everyone knew who Tsunade was. She was one of the Sanin and the greatest medic-shinobi in the world, but she also not a part of the village any more. "Soi, Kouki, and Ichirou, report to the training grounds immediately after class." My jaw dropped when Yasushi-sensei called my name. I was being partnered with a Sanin? Me? The same Tsunade my dad studied under? He had told me stories of her for years. I had always wanted to meet her, but never thought I'd get the chance.

"Congrats," Anko said as she gave me a big hug. "You get a Sanin too."

I couldn't reply, I didn't know what to say. My new teacher was my idol and I didn't know how to process that information.

Once Yasushi-sensei was done assigning groups he bid us one final farewell before dismissing us. The room filled with chatter as the teams came together and started heading to their designated meeting place.

"Soi," Ichirou yelled as he collided into me. He wrapped me in a tight hug while jumping up and down in place. "We get to be together. Isn't' that great!" Sadly, I had forgotten how lively Ichirou was. His overwhelming joy to partner with me made me smile. I tried to hug him back to show that I was equally as happy, but I couldn't move my arms under his grasp. "We're with Kouki too," he said as he put me down.

At the sound of his name, Kouki appeared. He was smiling just as brightly as Ichirou and I were. Now that I was free, I was able to hug Ichriou, but I pulled Kouki into it as well. "I get to be with two of my favorite men."

Kouki and Ichirou laughed. "Being partnered with you is great, but Ichirou too? This is the best team I could've been on."

I let go of my two companions and looked up at Kouki. "You two are friends?"

"Since the day we started at the academy. He's practically my brother." Ichirou nodded in confirmation.

"Then we really are the perfect team, but we need to go," I said as I started pushing my new teammates towards the door. "We shouldn't keep Tsunade-sensei waiting." On the way towards the door I noticed that Kakashi's team was still talking. "Actually, wait a minute. I have to do something."

I quickly darted over to Kakashi and gave him a big hug. "Congrats on have Minato as your sensei." Everyone knew that Minato was one of the best shinobi in the village. Being is student was a huge honor.

"Thanks," was all I got as a reply. I could hear the annoyance in his voice and it baffled me. He was just put in a group the fastest guy in all of Konoha as his teach. There was no reason to be a grump.

I gave him one final smile before looking over to Rin. Her cheeks were bright pink, but there was a smile gracing her beautiful face. I quickly looked at Kakashi be looking back at her and giving her a wink. Her cheeks grew even pinker and she promptly looked away.

"Well, have fun you guys. I'm off to learn from the best." I turned to head back to Kouki and Ichirou, but Kakashi gripped my arm and held me in place. I looked up at him in confusion.

"Be careful," was all he said. I noticed that he looked over my shoulder for a few seconds before looking back at me. I knew who he was looking at, but I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to start a fight.

"I will."

/\/\

Kouki's POV  
I don't know what Kakashi said to her, but I didn't care. My mother had come through for me and got me assigned to the same team as Soi. Thankfully, it didn't take much convincing on my part. She's learned to listen to me over the years to the point where I hardly have to yell at her anymore. I'm sure she placed Ichirou on the team as an added bonus. After all, the only reason I wanted, needed, to be partnered with Soi is because I'm the only one who can watch over the way she needs. I'd do anything for her.

"Ready to go," Soi asked as she bounced over to us.

"Yep, yep," Ichirou replied as he linked his arm with hers. Had it been anyone else, I probably wouldn't have taken it so well. It bothered me when other men touched her, sometimes even when Anko did it, but I had to keep my cool. Besides, I knew Ichirou. I knew Soi wasn't his type, primarily because she's a girl.

Soi gave him a breath-taking smile before looking up at me. She offered me her free arm and I gladly took it. Together, we made our way to meet our new sensei.

/\/\

Kakashi's POV  
I watched helplessly as Soi disappeared with Kouki. Of course she'd be assigned to his group. Out of all the teams assigned, she was stuck with him. Now I couldn't watch over her as well as I should. Kami, she could at least have been assigned with one of the others.

"Did you hear me," Rin said from my side, taking me away from my thoughts.

I looked over at her blushing face. Why was she blushing? "What did you say?"

"I said that we should probably go now. Minato-sensei probably wont like it if we're late for our first meeting."

I nodded silently and headed for the door. Rin and Obito close behind. Out of all the teams I could've been assigned to, I get stuck with them. The tardy kid and the girl who couldn't think for herself when it came to basic taijutsu. If we survive our first mission, it will be a miracle.

/\/\

AN: Yay for groups! I know, it took forever, but I wanted to build up Soi's relationships with the others. Now it's time for the good stuff.


	10. Meeting Tsunade

AN: Sooooooo, for anyone who has noticed, there is a cover for this story. Who made it you ask? A Miss EclairDesigns made it. I'd like to say thank you, from a mountaintop if I could, to Éclair for a job well done. Unfortunately, I couldn't put the entire image up because of size regulations, so I encourage every to go to Deviantart or Google and search for EclairDesigns in order to see the entire cover and the rest of her amazing work.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 8 – Meeting Tsunade

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood in the middle of the training ground as they waited for Tsunade's fresh batch of victims. The blond Sanin was less that pleased to be there, but she promised Adatta that she'd train his daughter.

"Its good to see you again, Tsunade."

"It's only been a couple of years."

"That's too long for my taste. How about we catch up over dinner."

"No thanks."

"Drinks are on me." That caught the blonds attention, as Jiraiya knew it would. She smirked at him in confirmation, a silent agreement to his request. "So, you get Soi. I'm assuming that's no coincidence."

"You'd be right. Adatta asked me to train her. I was annoyed at first, but if I hadn't come, I'm sure he would've asked the Hokage for you to do it. She's lucky I came."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think?"

"That's hurtful. You wound an old man's heart, but onto a less painful topic. What's your strategy for with the kids?"

Tsunade looked up at the clear blue sky and sighed. "Brutally bash them until they decide to quit and I can go back to living my life." Her lack of a response from Jiraiya signaled that he didn't believe her. "I'm going to give them the bell test. What else would I do?"

Jiraiya smiled to himself as he thought back to when he was a genin. "This should be fun to watch. It'll try and take pictures of the slaughter," he said as he dangled a disposable camera in Tsunade's face. The two Sanin snapped their heads forward. Three chakra levels were quickly heading their way. "I'll go make myself scarce. Try not to kill any of them," he said with a smile before vanishing from sight. He settled into a tree, high enough to be out of sighed, but close enough to see all the action.

It took the genin only a few minutes to make their appearance. All three of them were smiling brightly at their new sensei, eager and ready to learn. "Stop smiling," Tsunade commanded in an overly harsh voice as she watched the smiles disappear off her student's faces. She had to keep her own smile from surfacing. Torturing her students was going to be a lot fun.

Jiraiya laughed to himself from his place in the trees. Tsunade not giving the genin the chance for formalities or to speak at all showed just how dominant of a person she could be. _What a way to psych them out,_ he thought.

"Listen closely because I'm only going to say this once. You have three hours to take these two bells from me," Tsunade emphasized by taking two small bells out of her pocket. She tied them through a loop in her pants to keep them in plane view. "The two of you who successfully take the bells from me will remain on the squad. The other will be sent back to the academy." The look of pure terror on her student's faces made her smirk. This time she didn't bother to hide it. "In order to take a bell you have to come at me with the intent to kill. Anything less is not worth my time." It was obvious that the three young shinobi before her were shocked and confused. Tsunade was so blunt and to the point that she left no room for an argument.

"But sensei, isn't that a little harsh," Ichirou asked.

Tsunade bent down and picked up several small rocks that were scattered around her feet. Splayed with them in her hands for a few moments before flicking on in the genin's direction. When the rock collided with the ground, it created a hole large enough that forced Ichirou and the others to jump away in order to not fall in. "Does that answer your question?"

Jiraiya had to keep himself quiet as he restrained himself from laughing too loud. On some level, he pitied the poor genin. He knew what it was like being partnered with her. There were good day and there were…well, days he chose to ignore. It was comforting and disturbing to know that Tsunade hadn't lost her edge.

"Being a shinobi is not a game. There is no restart button. If you don't do your best, you make mistakes. If you make mistakes, people die. If you think you can't handle what I'm telling you to do, leave now. I don't train weaklings." Tsunade let a few moments pass. None of her genin opted to leave, a positive sign showing that she given a good batch of students. "You may use any tactic and technique you like in order to get the bells. Genjutsu, taijutsu, whatever. That includes kekkei genkai."

That little of information struck a nerve deep within Soi. She knew that Tsunade was aware of her abilities. Even if she hadn't seen the girl use them, it was by name that she would know.

Tsunade looked at her wrist. The cheap watched she had bought the previous day read that it was 12:45pm. "You have until 3:45 to get a bell. The test starts now."

Ichirou, Kouki, and Soi fled to the trees. Each watched the Sanin from their individual hiding places, determining what to do.

_I could use my Mind Transfer Jutsu on her, but I'd to get in front of her_, Ichirou through. I wonder where the others are.

Kouki was about fifty feet away from Ichirou, hiding under a bush. He silently watched as Tsunade played with the rocks in her hands. _If I come at her fast and hard, I'm sure I could get a bell, but that only leaves one for Soi_. As much as he loved Ichirou, Kouki was more preoccupied with Soi being able to get the second bell. That way he would be guarantied a spot on the new team with her.

Soi was hiding in a tree at the far end of the field, cursing herself for taijutsu being her primary form of fighting. Although she was heavily skilled in ninjutsu, taijutsu is where she felt the most comfortable. _I can't use my kekkei genkai on her, even is she says so. I could kill her. I don't care what she said, I'm not doing it and I can't go hand-to-hand with her. She'll kill me. _Soi took out two kunai from her pouch. She had learned the previous year that she had an affinity for air jutsu, just like her father. At first, she was shocked to learn that she could use nature based jutsus at such a young age, but her father reminded her that the Uchiha's and several other clans teach their children nature jutsu when they first enter the academy. It was one of the proud father-daughter-moment Soi and Adatta shared. Of course he taught her other techniques that seemed advanced for kids her age, but he thought it gave her the edge. _Weapons charged with air tend to travel faster than others that aren't. If I bombard her with enough kunai, I can keep her moving. Then I can grab a bell._

Just as Soi was about to make her move, a streak of blond hair flew down from the trees and darted across the field. Ichirou ran a wide circle around his target, eyeing her up for any openings. He found plenty, since she wasn't defending herself, but still kept his distance. Almost lightning fast he flung four kunai at Tsunade while charging forward. She dodged three of the kunai effortlessly and caught the fourth in her hand. With a simple flick of the wrist she sent the kunai flying back at her opponent.

The kunai missed Ichirou by a few centimeters, making Ichirou freeze on the spot. The proximity of the kunai to his head brought the entire situation home. Tsunade wasn't joking when she said she wasn't going to hold back. _Lucky for me that her aim was off_, he thought.

_I should've hit him_, Tsunade thought. _A little scratch wouldn't have hurt. At least now he knows that I'm not playing around. _At first Tsunade found it amusing that she inflicted enough fear into the young boy to make him freeze on the spot, but he still wasn't moving. A scowl crept its way onto her face as held her palm still in order to flick another rock. "Don't freeze. You make for an easy target."

As if being part of the same wave-link, Kouki and Soi threw kunai at their sensei before charging onto the field. They figured that they would have just enough time to get to the field, grab Ichirou, and leave, but by the time they reached the field it was too late.

"Let's go," Kouki yelled are he gripped onto Ichirou's forearm, but when the blond didn't move Soi gave him a fierce push from behind.

"The three of you make for easy targets," Tsunade said as she stomped on the ground. A large crack formed under her foot and headed straight for her students. Before the crack could reach them, the trio quickly jumped out of it's way and back into the trees.

Three sets of eyes looked back at the field after finding a safe hiding place. A large crater was exactly where they had been moments ago. "She's insane," Ichirou whispered. "She's going to kill us."

Kouki shook his head in disbelief before turning his attention back at his comrades. "She wouldn't do that, right?"

"Did you not see what she did to me," Ichirou practically yell. "It's a good thing she has bad aim or I would be missing an eye."

Soi put a hand over Ichirou and Kouki's voice to silence them. They were supposed to be hiding, but her partners were practically giving away their position. "Guys, we've gotta keep our cool. We can do this."

Kouki pulled Soi's hand away from his mouth and whispered, "How? She's not just any ninja, she's a Sanin. We can't do this by ourselves."

"We're going to do it as a team because there is no way we would be able to get the bells individually. We have to work together."

Ichirou also removed Soi's hand and let out a small sigh. "But there are only two bells. How are we going to decided who gets them?"

"For now, lets just work on getting close to her. We'll make a plan and whoever thinks they can get a bell without breaking from the plan is allowed to go for it. Agreed?"

"Yeah," boys said in unison.

While her students were busy hiding, if that's what they thought they were doing, Tsunade couldn't help smirk to herself. She had known where they were the entire time, but was giving them just enough time to form their next plan of attack. Sadly, they were already failing. Sure two of them worked to get the third teammate out of danger, but they had no plan. They weren't working together as a team should. Finally, after several minutes of boredom, Tsunade decided to take the offensive. "You're not really hiding if I know where you are," Tsunade yelled as she threw the remaining rocks in her student's direction.

By the time Soi and the others knew what she had done, it was too late. Everything that laid in the pebbles paths was destroyed. Thick tree branches broke, wood went flying everywhere, and leaves cascaded around them. The trio jumped out of the way, but didn't leave unscratched. One of the falling branches hit Soi on the forearm, instantly giving her a bruise. Another branch hit Ichirou in the leg, while a couple hit Kouki in the back.

When they hit the ground, the three looked at each other with determination. They realized that Tsunade was just playing with them and it quickly worked on their nerves. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to go in first since I'm the fastest. Kouki, you're going to be my backpack. While we keep her moving, Ichirou, you use your Mind Transfer Jutsu and get control of her. Got it?"

"Yeah," they said in unison. With a plan set and their determination set at an all time high, they went for their goal. With two kunai in hand, Soi burst from the trees and ran for Tsunade, Kouki not far behind her. Just as Tsunade was about to stomp on the ground a second time, Soi tossed her two kunai in her teacher's direction. Tsunade dodged the kunai with ease, but was forced to keep moving by the kunai Kouki was thrown her way.

The plan was easy enough. Soi would lead the attack and Kouki would mimic her actions while Ichirou positioned himself to use his jutsu. The plan was flawless on paper, but there was one problem. By the time Ichirou was given an opening to do his part, Kouki and Soi were too close to Tsunade for him to get a clear shot. From where he stood, he could hit any of them.

His teammates were so close to Tsunade that they were now locked into hand-to-hand combat. Kouki and Soi were doing their part well; at least they thought they were. They kept Tsunade moving, but only because she allowed it. She dodged their attacks effortlessly, but she was paying more attention to Soi's movements than Kouki's. She knew from personal experience just how dangerous the young Mouki's ability could be and didn't want to be on the wrong end of it.

During the climax on the battle, Soi came dangerously close to touching Tsunade. The Sanin had been carful enough to dance around Soi's movements up until that point, but when Soi's fist almost collided with Tsunade's face, the blond's natural reaction was to counter. Without really thinking about what she was doing, Tsunad's arm collided with Soi's midsection, making the young girl fly through the air and land several yards away. Soi laid on the ground in pain while trying to even out her breathing. The hard hit to her body had knocked the wind out of her.

Although Kouki and Ichirou were both concerned over their fallen teammate, they focused at the task at hand. With Soi out of the way, Ichirou had enough space to use his jutsu. After focusing just enough chakra in the right places, his mind sprang from his body and flew forward. However, Tsunade had been keeping mental tabs on what Ichirou was doing since he first appeared on the field. She knew the Yamanaka jutsu stance all to well and used Kouki to block his attack. She stepped to the side right before Ichirou used his jutsu and pushed Kouki into the line of fire.

Soi watched the battle before her as she gradually rose from the ground. When she finally got up she ran to Ichirou's body that had collapsed due to his jutsu. When she looked back at Tsunade and the possessed Kouki, she instantly realized something was off. Tsunade's demeanor hadn't changed. She still had the same air of danger around her, while Kouki's seemed confused.

"Nice try," Tsunade said with a proud smirking before kicking the young boy, sending him flying in Soi's direction. "But not good enough." Ichirou, who was still in Kouki's body, landed next to Soi, but with some effort. The spot where Tsunade had kicked him was throbbing and he knew Kouki wasn't going to be happy when he got his body back.

"Are you ok," Soi asked as examined her friend. Ichirou gave her a small nod, but he never took his eyes off of Tsunade. "Good, we gotta go," she said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the tree line.

Once they were safely hidden in the thick tree line, Ichirou reversed his jutsu and went back to his own body. When Kouki came to, he groaned in pain as he gripped onto his side. "Well, that plan failed."

"Sorry," Ichirou said sheepishly. "I wasn't aiming for you."

"Don't worry about it," Kouki replied with a heart-warming smiling, making sure Ichirou knew that he didn't blame him for what happened. "We just have to come up with a better plan. Preferably one that doesn't end with me waking up in pain."

Soi stuck a stray hair behind her ear as she looked back at Tsunade through a small hole in the tree line, then back to her friends. "Any ideas?"

For the next couple of hours the three genin tried and failed to successfully achieve their goal. They made up several plans of attack, but they were thwarted each time. It had gotten to the point that they had forgotten the stakes of the battle, their determination to best their sensei getting the better of them, but not matter what happened, they acted as a team. Each plan played on their strengths and utilized their skills to the best of their abilities.

The trio was on their fifth plan of attack when Tsunade made the announcement that their time was up. It wasn't until then that they realized that they had forgotten exactly what they were fighting for. Tsunade stood with her hands on her hips and a rather unpleasant look on her face. The three genin before her stood silent as their eyes bore holes into the ground. "It's 3:45 and none of you have gotten a bell." Tsunade's voice was full of disappointed and annoyance as she scolded them, but changed in the blink of an eye when she gave her students a genuine smile. "You all pass."

Soi, Ichirou, and Kouki's heads shot up, eyes wide open and jaws dropped in disbelief. "What," they asked in unison.

Tsunade, as calms as could be, dropped the whole dominant sensei act and explained everything in cool manner. "The point of this test wasn't for you to get a bell. It was to determine how the three of you worked as a team. Each of you was failing in the beginning, but you quickly came together when you realized that you couldn't beat me individually. A squad, no matter whom it consists of, will lose a fight if the team members can't work together. The three of you have proven that you belong on this squad." Tsunade's smile grew a bit bigger as she watched her students relax and cheered with glee knowing that they passed and didn't have to go back to the academy.

As they rejoiced, a white haired sage emerged form the trees and took his spot next to Tsunade. "It's good to know that all of you are alive," Jiraiya said with a smirk as he looked down at the three genin before him. "Well, mostly. I was worried for a while." The cuts and bruises on the genin's bodies were more than visible. So much so that Jiraiya internally joked that they could be seen from space. "You couldn't have gone any easier on them?"

"Where would be the fun in that? They're alive, aren't they?"

Soi studied to older man closely. She had never seen him before, but his appearance reminded him of stories her father use to tell her. Stories about how he, on numerous occasions, had to break up fights between Tsunade and another Sanin. "Excuse me, sir, but is your name Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya's dark eyes twinkled in the sunlight as he gave the young girl his full attention. "That I am and I know who you are too. You've grown up to be a very adorable young lady." Jiraiya thought back to the day Soi was born. Along with Tsunade and several members of Soi's family, he was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for his chance to see the newborn. Over the years, he had grown close to Adatta and the Catsuko family.

When she finally came into the world, she instantly had everyone wrapped around her little finger. She was the cutest baby he had ever seen, not that he had seen many. He had expected Adatta and the Catsuko's to fawn all over Soi. He had expected that Tsunade would feel the same way, but she had vanished from Konoha long before the little Soi came around. But although she was nowhere to be seen, Adatta and Jiraiya kept her in the loop. Besides the Third, they were the only ones who knew where she was.

"Jiraiya is a friend of mine," Tsunade said as she formally introduced her ex-teammate. "He might show up from time to time. Just ignore him."

"How hurtful." A disapproving frown passed the Toad Sage's to show how hurt her was, but Tsunade knew he was faking.

Tsunade rolled her eyes at her friend while she slowly started to get annoyed at his antics. "Just take a picture of us," she ordered.

Jiraiya did as he told and took out his camera. He walked several feet away from the new team and raised the camera to his face. "Ready?"

"No," Soi shouted. Soi jumped on Kouki's back, locking her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Ichirou was giving them a confused looked as Tsunade has a smug look plastered on her face as she stood behind her students, thinking about all the things she was going to teach them.

Without any warning Jiraiya pressed down on the button on the camera, making the flash go off. "That's going to be an interesting photo," Jiraiya said as he shoved the camera back into his pocket. "But I guess that's what makes it special."

Soi and Ichirou smiled as they imaged what the picture would look like. Kouki turned around to look at his sensei, forcing Soi to do the same since she was still on his back. "What do we do now, sensei?"

"First, we're going to go over some ground rules. We train rain every day at 6:00am, except Sundays. We'll meet up here and start the day off with some warms ups, then we'll move onto two and a half hours of ninjutsu training, two and a half hours of taijutsu, break for lunch for an hour, two and a half hours of chakra control, and then until 6pm we'll work on your specialties, but we'll do it one at a time. Tomorrow, I'll do a one-on-one specialties training with Soi, the next day I'll do it with Kouki, and the Ichirou. On the fourth day, during what normally would be our specialties training, I'll have you demonstrate what you've learned to the others in the group, then the cycle will start all over again. Any questions?" Both Ichirou and Soi raised their hands. "Ichirou."

Why can't we train on their specialties together? Wouldn't it be easier instead of breaking it up?"

"This way I can work with the three of you individually and get better acquainted with your specific abilities and I can give you my undivided attention. Soi?"

"Why do we get Sundays off?"

"So we can have some time away from each other. Trust me, you spend all of your time with your teammates, you'll go crazy." Tsunade peaked at Jiraiya out of the corner of her eye. He had his arms crossed in front of him and gave her a cheeky smile. "Anything else?" The three genin shook their head in the negative. "Then you're all dismissed for the day." With those few words, Ichirou and Kouki started in the direction of the village, Soi still not making any move to get off Kouki's back. "Soi, I need to speak with you for a moment."

Soi groan in annoyance as she rested her head on Kouki's shoulder. All she wanted to do was go home and relax. After the day she had and what she knew was coming, she needed it. But instead of protest and risking her sensei's wrath, she slid of Kouki and started back to her teacher. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she yelled over her shoulder. Kouki had planned to wait for her, but Tsunade ushered him away with a quick gesture of her hand. "Yes, sensei?"

Tsunade look down at her pupil, all sense of joy and pride she had earlier was now basked behind her strictly business face. "How frequently do you go through your clothes?"

Soi's brows knitted together in confusion. That certainly wasn't what she thought Tsunade was going to say. "I'm not sure what you mean, sensei."

"Your father told me all about your family's ability. It's pros and cons. I know that when you use your ability that it affects your entire body, not just one area. I'm just wondering how quickly your ability ruins your clothes."

"Umm, well, not as much as it use to. I have more control now that I'm older, but I slip every now and then. So, I guess…not much."

"Hmm. Regardless, from now on, I want you to wear nothing but shorts and a tank top.

Blood drained out of Soi's face while her eyes widened in shock at her sensei's command. "What! But that's dangerous. I could hurt someone."

"That's the point. I'm going to teach you to concentrate and manipulate your chakra flow into a single point. It's kind of like what I do, but the outcome will be different."

"But why do I have to wear less clothing for that?"

"Because this way, any part of your body that is exposed can be harnessed as a weapon. Think about it this way. For some reason you had a kunai in one hand and had a kitten in the other, and you were forced to destroy one using your ability. Since I'm guessing you'd rather want the kitten to live, you'd try and destroy the kunai, but would end up destroying them both."

"Why would I want to kill a cat!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. "You don't, that's what I'm trying to say. If I can teach you to harness you ability, you'll be able to hold the kitten safely while destroying the kunai, but you'll be able to do this with any part of our body. Your head, feet, hips, whatever will get the job done. I can even turn your lips into a weapon."

"But-"

"Think about it this way. If you don't show up the way I tell you too, I wont train you." Jiraiya burst into a fit of laughter when Soi's jaw dropped. She is in shock that the fate of her future career as a shinobi depended on her wardrobe.

/\/\

Gina had made it clear weeks in advanced that on the day of graduation all of her favorite little shinobi were to have dinner at her house. It was her way of saying congratulations to the new genin. The young shinobi had quickly found their way into her heart and looked at all of them as if they were her children.

Soi was glad that her mother had come up with the idea of a graduation dinner for more than one reason. First, she loved having all of her friends at her house. If she could, she'd force them to live with her. Second, now that they had graduated there was a good chance they might not ever have moments like this again. They would be off on missions and it would be difficult to see each other.

By the time dinner had come around Soi's body ached like crazy. While her friends and family conversed about the new teams and their first day together, Soi remained quiet. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by the silver hair genin.

Kakashi leaned a bit closer to Soi and whispered in her ear. "Are you alright?"

"I think my sensei wants to kill me," she whispered back sarcastically. Kakashi looked down at her arm and saw the damage that had been done. He had noticed them earlier, but now he got to see them up close. He noted that she was definitely going to be sore for a while, but that wasn't the only thing that was bothering her. Before coming home, Soi went shopping for new clothes. She bought several pairs of black and dark blue shorts and a variety of tanks tops, most of which cut off right above her bellybutton. She figured that she might as well be thorough.

For once, Soi was happy that she wasn't sitting next to Anko. Her body hurt too much for her friend to be hanging all over her. Sitting in between Kakashi and Iruka made for a nice, calm cage. No yelling in her eye, no playful punches to the arm, only peace.

It was late by the time dinner came to a close. Everyone had been so caught up telling and hearing stories that they had all forgotten that some of the people had to get up early, but instead of going home, all of the genin spent the night. Not on their own free will, but by force. Gina forced the children to spend the night at the large house; just she could spend more time with them. Over a short period of time, the young shinobi had become like children to her. She loved just as much as she loved Soi and her unborn child. She wanted to keep them safe and happy, but knew that they only thing she could give them was a place to crash whenever the felt like it.

Since there weren't enough rooms to house all of the genin, the group slept in the large living room. Soi and her mother brought several blankets and pillows for all of the young shinobi to share. It took a few more hours for any of the genin to get some sleep. They were all wired from the day and the ones that have yet to come.

Kakashi was sitting with his back pressed against the couch. Soi's fingers were playing with the long stands of his silver hair. She was laying on the couch, one hand propping up her head while that other found it's entertainment in the boy sitting in front of her.

"Do you really have to do that," Kakashi asked.

"Your hair is more fun to play with. Besides, you like it."

"What makes you think that?"

Soi smiled to herself before leaning forward. She had to restrain herself from laughing as she whispered into his ear. "Because you would've told me to stop when I first started." Soi had been playing with his hair for a good ten minutes before Kakashi had said anything. He even moved his head from side to side so Soi could get a better reach.

"Why are you doing it?"

"Because everyone likes to have their hair played with. It feels good."

"Not everyone," Kakshi said before laying on the floor and pulling the covers tightly around him.

Soi smiled again before peaking over the edge of the couch. "Are you going to sleep with that thing on," she asked as he pocked Kakashi in the cheek, indicating to his mask.

Kakashi groaned as he closed his eyes and tightened his hold on his blanket. "Yes, now let me sleep."

"I'm going to see what you look like under there one day." Kakashi's eyes opened as he turned his head to look at her. He could only see Soi's eyes and forehead from her position on the couch, but he knew she was smiling. "That's a promise."

Although Soi couldn't see it through is masked, Kakashi's lips pulled back in a small smile at her challenge. "Bring it on."

/\/\

The heavy scent of alcohol was all too familiar to Tsunade as she and Jiraiya sat at the bar. A thick cloud of smoke filled the air, but the Sanin ignored it.

"So, how have you been? Meet anyone specially in your little village?" Tsunade snorted at the every thought of finding a man. She had given up on the thought of romance long ago. "Just asking."

"Ask smarter questions."

Jiraiya smirked at his friend's snippiness. He took a large gulp of his drink before setting it down on the counter. His smirked faded as he thought of all the reasons he had to ask Tsunade that question in the first place. He remembered what happened to Dan, Nawaki, and all the other terrible things that happened to her. "Are you happy?"

Tsunade thought about the question for a while. She wasn't unhappy, but she wasn't her living her life to the fullest. "I'm surviving. That's enough for me."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear, but Jiraiya accepted the answer. After everything that she had been through, he only wanted the best for Tsunade. "I think training Soi will be good for you. She's just like her father."

"Not exactly. Her mother's family raised her. I'm sure she's got the Catsuko's mouthiness.

"That's even better."

/\/\

AN: Well….that was long.


	11. Training

AN: I am so sorry for the long delay. Summer just got really crazy and I have to set aside time just to write. I may not update every Monday for a while, so chapters might come few and far in between, but I will do my best to update as much as possible.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 9 – Training

Soi's POV  
After yesterday's test I was questioning my sanity as to why I came back for more punishment. Maybe its because I like crazy people. Being friends with Anko and Guy was proof of that. Or maybe I'm a masochist. But more importantly, I felt exposed. Too scared of sensei's wrath, I did what she told me to do and went out and bought the shortest outfit I could find. It wasn't that I had a problem with the way my body looked; it was just the thought of all the horrible things that could go wrong now that I wasn't covered.

Like good little soldiers Kouki, Ichirou, and I were waiting at the training grounds like Tsunade-sensei ordered, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"It's 6:30. Where is she," I ground as I looked at the watch on Kouki's wrist. "I can't believe I woke up for this. I could be in bed."

"Not a morning person," Ichirou asked as the tossed his arm around my neck and pulled me to him.

"No," I said flatly as I tried to push him away. "I'm normally a bitch until 10." I really was a bitch that early in the morning. I hated being around people, hated talking to them, and basically hated life. But the second 10 o'clock rolled around, BAM! I'm as happy as a clam.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon. Want to spar until then?" He looked up at me through those long lashes of his, his bright eyes shining at me.

"Not really." This time I lifted his arm from around my neck and took a few steps away. I didn't like the thought of being touched with little clothing. It was an accident waiting to happen.

"Please! Isn't the point of you wearing less is so you feel more comfortable with your kekkei genkai?"

"Yeah, but," but my protest was cute short by a fist flying straight for my face.

Kouki decided to take it upon himself to validate Ichirou's point and thought it would be a fun idea to attack me. He wasn't going as fast as I knew he could, but it was enough to get my attention. "Stop it, Kouki," I yelled as I dodged him with ease.

"Why? If anything, I'm helping you," he said with a smile, which I really wanted to slap off his face at the moment. "Come on, Ichirou. Jump in."

Before I knew it, we were dancing around the training field so fast that I had almost forgotten about my worries. For the most part, I was having too much fun to care. There were a couple instances where one of them hit me in places where I wasn't covered, but I did my best to keep myself in check.

Our sparing match lasted for about an hour before we called it quits. Saying that I was proud of myself for not losing control would be a huge understatement. I was so happy that I did a little dance in the middle of the field.

"I told you, you could do it," Kouki said as he put me in a vice like hug and kissed the top of my head. "It just takes practice."

I smiled up at him before resting my head on his shoulder. At first, I was a little angry that he attacked me, but that little exercise gave me the confidence I needed to feel comfortable with myself. I didn't trust myself a hundred percent, but it was a step in the right direction. It still felt strange not having a barrier between my skin and the rest of the world, but that was to be expected.

"Kakashi said the same thing once," I said as I pulled away from him. "Well, close enough." Saying that made me think about last night. All the fun we had after dinner and the stories of meeting our senseis'. It saddened me to think that it might never be like that again. Now that we're actual shinobi, we have responsibilities to train and practice for mission all the time. If all of us were together at once, it would be a miracle.

But I didn't dwell on that thought for long. If Kakashi knew I thought like that, he'd scold me for being so ridiculous. Then again, he thinks almost everything I do is ridiculous. I bet he's just jealous that I have more fun and he lives by some stupid code of grouchiness.

"Hey," Ichirou wined, breaking my train of thought. "I helped, too. Where's my hug?"

I smiled over to my blond friend and hugged him close. "I'm sorry," I cooed. "How could I forget you?" My arms tightened as I squeezed Ichirou closer to me. As I did I wondered if Kakashi would ever be this close to Rin and Obito. I hoped so, but it wouldn't surprise me if he kept them at arms length forever. Being with Kouki and Ichirou made me feel warm and safe. A feeling I hoped Kakashi would learn to share outside of Genma and the rest of us. Especially if Rin was going to have any shot at winning his heart.

For the next half hour I learned a lot about my teammates. Tsunade still hadn't made an appearance, so we took the time to get to know each other a little better. For instance, I learned that Ichirou was a great genjutsu user. Unlike most genjutsu users, his illusions were extremely realistic. He gave us a little demonstration and I had a hard time differentiating illusions from reality.

What I learned about Kouki was equally as amazing. First, I never knew he had a kekkei genkai. It was kinda funny, thinking that we all had one. Second, Kouki's ability made him my opposite. Where I could destroy things with a touch, he could return jutsus with a touch so long as it was tangible.

"This really isn't a good idea." Ichirou had come up with the bright idea of finding out if Kouki could repel my kekkei genkai. I was also curious, I'm not going to lie, but I didn't want to risk hurting him. "What if I hurt you?"

Kouki took my hand in his and gave me reassuring smile, his violet eyes reflecting his unflinching faith in me. "Don't worry. I'm asking for it. Literally. Just try not to kill me," he said with a wink. I couldn't do anything except roll my eyes and grown. If he was asking, who was I to say no?

I looked over at Ichirou, who was ushering for me to go ahead. An exasperated sigh escaped me as I closed my eyes and tried to focus. It wasn't hard for me to focus my chakra and body to do what I was asking of it, but I wanted to make sure nothing bad would happen. I pushed a little bit of chakra to the hand Kouki was holding and waited for him to pull away in pain.

"Ow! Damnit," I yelled as I quickly jerked my hand out of Kouki's grasp. My entire arm felt like it had been struck by lightning. Ichirou and Kouki didn't try to hide their amusement as I stomped around in a small circle as I held my wounded arm. "Shut the hell up! It's not funny!"

"That answers that question," Ichirou said through his laughter.

"Ichirou, shut the fuck up!"

"Since when do you swear?"

"Since I listen to you idiots and end up hurting myself!" Kouki stopped laughing, but a giant grin was plastered on his face. He made a move to hug me, but I quickly dodged his outstretched arms. "Keep away from me or so help me…" After a while the pain in my arm started to die down until all there was left was a tingling feeling, but I still didn't let either of them come near me. "I'm calling it a day. I'm going home."

"Come on, Soi. Don't be mad," Kouki said.

"I'm not mad, not anymore anyway. It's almost 8 o'clock and Tsunade-sensei isn't here. There are other things we could be doing."

"Like what," an annoyed voice said from behind me. A cold shiver ran down my spine at the cold voice. Kouki and Ichirou's eyes winded at the sight of the woman behind me.

I turned slowly to see Tsunade standing directly behind me. Why didn't my so-called teammates tell me that she was there? "N-nothing, sensei."

"Good. Warm up and we'll get started," she ordered. Even though we had already spared, none of us said anything. We silently did our warm-ups and waited for her next instructions. "Today, I want to get a better handle of your talents. We'll start of with ninjutsu and then work our way to taijutsu. After lunch, we're going to head to the river for chakra control training." And that was the official start of our training with Tsunade. She was late, bossy, and really aggressive, but I liked it. I really must have been crazy to be happy that she was my teacher.

Before any of us knew it, it was time for chakra control training. Ninjutsu and taijutsu practice ended in a blur and I hardly remember what I ate for lunch. It was a little after noon and I felt like I was about to die from all her "training", but I had never felt stronger. We had been under her wing for only a few hours, but I already felt unstoppable. Maybe because I thought no one could hurt me as much as she could.

The four of us went to the river where Kakashi and the rest of us usually went, except we went farther up stream where the water was deeper. The water sang to me as we stood by the riverbank. It was such a hot day that all I wanted to do was take a nice dip in the cool water.

"What I'm about to teach you is something most teachers don't teach on the first day of training, but I'm going to skip a few steps." The three of us watched in amazement as Tsunade-sensei walked from solid ground onto flowing water with ease. "Normally, I'd teach you how to climb a tree first, but if you can walk on water, then you can walk on vertical surfaces."

Kouki, Ichirou, and I looked at each other and then back at sensei. It was obvious that whatever she was planning on teaching us was something that would never have hoped to learn at the academy. "I know that each of you have had chakra control classes, but this is different. In order to do this, you have to focus and project your chakra to the bottom of your feet. Since water is constantly flowing, you have to adjust your chakra to the waters movements." Her brown eyes flickered over to me. "This will be a great exercise for you, Soi. The better you get at chakra control, the easier it will be for you to use you kekkei genkai."

We watched intently as sensei put her hands in an all too familiar hand single to demonstrate what we were supposed to do. "If you make this hand signal and concentrate, it will help in focusing your chakra. Imagine your chakra flowing to your feet and keep it there before stepping onto the water."

Ichirou looked down at his feet, then at the water, then back to sensei, a puzzled look plastered on his face. "You said that normally people are taught to climb trees first. Why aren't we doing that?"

"Because if you can do this, you can walk on trees and walls in your sleep. You'll eventually get to the point where it will become second nature and you wont need hand signals anymore." Tsunade-sensei's hand fell to her sides as she walked back on land and took a seat in the shade under a tree. "Get started."

So we did. It didn't seem that hard, make a hand signal and focus my chakra to my feet. It seemed simple enough until I fell a waist deep in ice-cold water six times in a row.

"Need help," Ichirou's perky voice asked from my side. That little brat was sitting on top of the water, smiling like a crazy cat. I didn't know until that moment how good he was at chakra control. Part of me was proud of him for having such control, but at the same time I had the overwhelming urge to drown him. "Take a deep breath and calm yourself. You're trying to hard." Ichirou turned his head to look at Kouki. "And you're not trying hard enough."

Kouki's eyes caught my dark ones as we silently communicated. He had the same urge to dunk Ichirou as I did, but neither of us acted on it. Instead, we did as we were told. For the next few hours, this was all we did. Tsunade-sensei would help us every now and then, but she basically let us do it on our own. In that short time Kouki and I got better, but we weren't nearly as good as Ichirou, who didn't bother to hide his joy.

After our chakra control lessons were done, it was time for our individual specialized training. Unfortunately, I had to go first. I'd still be a bit scared to train with her even if I went last. What little confidence I gained from sparing with Ichirou and Kouki earlier faded away as I thought about what she had in store for me.

"All of you did well today. You two," Tsunade-sensei said as she pointed to the boys at my sides. "You're dismissed." Sensei and I watched silently as my teammates left happily. Their slouched shoulders and drooping heads made it visible that they were tired.

Once they were long gone I turned back to sensei, ready for whatever craziness she had waiting for me. "What now, sensei?"

"Do you know your nature affinity?"

"Wind."

"Of course it is," she mumbled to herself. Without giving me a second thought she walked over to the tree she sat under a few hours ago. She placed her hand against the rough bark and shook the tree. A large branch broke off and fell to the ground, dozens of leaves falling like rain. I watched her pick up the branch, gave it a quick look over, then look back at me. She plucked a leaf off the branch and handed it to me. "Since you're a affinity is wind, we'll be killing two birds with one stone. When using wind chakra you have to-"

"Focus your chakra to a point. Think thin and sharp." Sensei's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Dad taught me about wind properties."

"I bet he did. If you know that much, than learning to control kekkei genkai." Sensei tossed the large branch to the side after plucking a few more leaves off of it. "In order to gain ultimate control over your kekkei genkai, you have to practice as if you were walking on water and using nature chakra at the same time."

Now I was confused. None of what she said made any sense. "But that's impossible. When I use my ability, it affects my entire body. It's the same with all the other Mouki's."

"It's not impossible, because I taught your father to fight this way." I was speechless as I watched her take several long strands of string from her pocket and approach me. I watched as she tied the leaves around my legs and my arms before placing the final leaf in my free hand. "When you were practicing chakra control on the water, you had to focus your chakra to a specific point on your body. I want you to do that now. I want you to put a small cut in the leaf in your right hand and none of the others."

I looked at her in disbelief. Whenever I used my ability, it affected my entire body. I had never thought about being able to focus my chakra to a specific point before, but if dad could do it I knew I could do it too. The air flowed out of my lungs as I released a pent up sigh. In order to do this, I knew I had to be calm and focus. If I wanted to be a good shinobi, I had to be willing to train hard.

I felt the familiar buzz in my body as I tried to focus my chakra. It started from my stomach and worked its way up. My eyes never left the leaf in my right hand as I concentrated on the task at hand. I wasn't the slightest bit surprised when the leaf cut in half, but so did all the others.

"I said a small cut, not slice it in half," sensei said with a smirk. I let the leaves fall from my hand as I took off the ones she tied to my limbs. "This is going to take a while, so try not to get frustrated." I didn't say anything as I replaced the leaves and got back into position. After failing the first dozen times I started getting less annoyed and started looking at the exercise as a challenge. If I could pull this off, this would greatly reduce any accidents I might have in the future and give me much better control. Plus, mom would be happy that I wouldn't have to keep buying new clothes.

After a few more hours, we called it a night. I had gone through all the leaves on the branch and still couldn't do as she asked. Sensei reassured me that I was getting better since I am a quick study, but I didn't see much improvement. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't do this completely. In one day I failed at two things, walking on water and perfecting my kekkei genkai. I wasn't use to doing things flawlessly the first time around and I didn't like the feeling of failing.

"Practice your wind property and chakra control whenever you have free time. It will make it easier on you when we do these one-on-one sessions."

I bowed my head, partly out of exhaustion and partly out of respect. "Yes, sensei."

"You did good today. Keep it up and you'll be as good as your father." I smiled up at her as we started back to the village. As we walked, I picked her brain about my father. He had told me some stories about training with her, but I wanted to know her side of the tales.

Apparently, my father was a bit of a wild child. He never wanted to stay in one place too long and was always looking for the next fight, the next adventure. If he wasn't training, he was doing research at the hospital. "You're a lot like him, but at the same time you're a lot like your mother. You have his passion for adventure and her persistent spirit."

"How well did you know my mom?"

"We were close for a while. She'd hang around the hospital to see your father or he'd watch him during training. She was his personal cheering squad whenever he felt like giving up."

"Dad felt like giving up," I said with disbelief. "My father isn't a quitter."

"He isn't because I wouldn't let him be and neither would your mother. She didn't like the fact that he was a shinobi, but she supported him nonetheless. You're whole family did." The lights of the village came into view. The cool air and the setting sun gave it a beautiful glow. "You come from a strong family, Soi. In both spirit and heart." I watched her intently as she spoke. Although her eyes were fixed on the village I could tell her mind was somewhere else. "You'll make a great shinobi one day."

I don't know why her words made such an impact on me, but they made my heart flutter. Although I had only known her for a few days, all I wanted to do was make her proud and show her I could be the best. "Thank you, sensei."

/\/\

The next few months flew by. Having a clockwork routine would typically drives Soi crazy, but she looked forward to each and every day. She learned more in those first few months than she expected she would. Although she excelled at the academy, every thing she learned at her old school didn't prepare her for what Tsunade had in store.

Jiraiya often made an appearance and added his own ideas to Tsunade's training methods. Most of the time she ignored him, but there were a couple ideas she worked with. But what the genin found funny was the sibling like rivalry the Sanin had going. They would often bicker like children and their fights would often end in a physical fight. There were a couple of times Soi and the boys had to restrain the legendary shinobi.

The four of them were like her second family. She felt like she could talk to them about anything and often did. Whenever she had a problem, she would tell them and they helped. But at the same time, it made her miss the other part of her family. Not the Catsuko's, but Kakashi and the others.

It had been a while since she had seen all of her friends together at once. They still managed to stop by for dinner and spend the night, but not collectively. Genma, Iruka, and Kurenai visited the most. Since Jiro was their sensei, it was almost impossible to escape them. Not that she was complaining, Soi enjoyed spending time with her friends, but seeing those three made her long to be with the others.

/\/\

AN: I'm going to apologies right now for my crappy spelling and grammar. I feel like I'm living in the Stone Age without Word. I'm working on getting it, I promise.


	12. First Mission Pt1

AN: Since I'm probably not going to be able to update as much as I normally do, I'M going to do my best to make each chapter longer so it kinda balances out.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 10 – First Mission Pt. 1

Soi's POV  
Today was the day of our first mission. It was a low level mission, not worth our time, but it was something. We were to go to Atson, a small industrial village a few days run away, to help with their security for large musical competition. People from all over come to perform in order to win some fancy title and a large cash price. If I didn't have to work, I would've bought a ticket to go enjoying, but fate wasn't so kind.

"This is going to be so much fun," Ichirou squealed as the three of us made our way to the Great Gate.

"I would be better if we could go and not have to work," I said as I tried to tighten the straps on my backpack, but it was being difficult. The competition lasted a week, so we had to pack accordingly. This was my first time staying in another village beside Konoha and Iwa. "Do you think we'll get any time to enjoy the show?"

"Probably not. Besides that fact that we're working, sensei wouldn't let us have fun," Kouki said while lightly slapping my hand away from the straps and fixing them for me. "Better?"

"Yeah. Thank you." Kouki wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. I rested my head on his shoulder as the three of us stood by the large of doors of the village. Sensei still hadn't arrived, but it didn't bother us. We were early by a good twenty-five minutes, so we expected some sort of wait.

"We could always sneak out," my violet-eyed friend offered. "We'll wait until she's asleep and sneak out. The festival goes on all day and night."

"If it goes on 24/7, doesn't that mean at least one of us will be on duty the entire time?" The boys went silent, the wheels in their heads visibly turning as they mauled over my words. When neither of them said anything for another five minutes, I started cracking up. Usually they had a comeback for everything, but they came up empty.

"What's so funny," a familiar and unexpected voice asked.

Through my ridiculous laughing fit, my eyes flickered over to three of my ex-classmates. "Kakashi," I half yelled as I bolted out of Kouki's grasp and over to Kakashi's side. My arms instantly snaked around his neck as I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. It had been a few weeks since I last saw him and I couldn't help, but smile and feel giddy being near him. "What are you doing here?"

"We're on a mission to Atson for security detail."

I squeezed him again as I started to jump up and down, my smile getting bigger. "So are we. This is great. We all get to go on our first mission together." I could see the outline of his lips pull back in a small smile through his mask, which made me smile more.

"I thought all teams were supposed to have their first missions as solo missions," Obito said, obviously annoyed that he had to share the mission with our team. "Why would the Hokage put us together?"

"Does it matter," Ichirou asked in his typical glee. "It'll be more fun with more people. Maybe this way we'll be able to enjoy the festivities a little."

Obito's comment started a long conversation, and partly rant, from Kakashi about teamwork and how this mission would be a great way for the six of us to learn to work together. While he lectured the boys, I silently slipped into the background, taking Rin with me. She seemed captivated by what Kakashi was saying, but I'm sure she received plenty of lectures from him already. Missing one wouldn't hurt.

I could hardly contain myself as I pulled her away from the boys. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her since graduation and I was dying to know what was going on between her and Kakashi. I hated gossip, but this was different. This was entertainment in its purest form. "Alright, spill. What's been going on?"

Rin's face turned a bright shade of red as she looked at the ground. "Um…well…."

"That's not an answer. I need details, woman, or I can't help you."

She continued to stare at the ground, her hands clasped together in her front as she played with her fingers. "He's just so…I don't know. He seems more distant now then when we were in the academy. When we take breaks during practice, he always looks like his mind is somewhere else."

"Have you ever asked what he's thinking about?"

"Yes, but all he ever says is that it's not important."

"Hmm…" I knew Kakashi liked to think a lot, but he was usually vocal about it if I or one of the others asked him about it. "Has he opened up at all? Does he act any differently then when we were in school?"

She shook her head no and sighed. She looked defeated, or at least close to it. "Oh, wait," she said, her head jerking up so quick that I'm surprised she didn't break it. "He doesn't scold us as much. It's probably because sensei tells him not to, but it's something."

"It doesn't count if Minato-sensei is telling him not to do it. He has to do it on his own." I let out a frustrated groan, a loud one, as I looked away from her and back at the group of boys. They had stopped talking at some point and were looking at us. "What?"

"What are you two talking about," Kakashi asked as on of his eyebrows rose just the slightest bit.

"You," I said, my voice flat and emotionless. Kakashi could be really frustrating sometimes. He talks about teamwork, but he treats his teammates like crap.

Kakashi turned his entire body to look at me straight on, instead of looking over his shoulder, which he previously had done. "What about?"

"We were talking about you, not to you." Kouki, Ichirou, and Obito stiffened their giggles as I spoke proudly. It was true. Just because we were talking about him didn't mean we had to tell him what we were talking about.

I watched him closely as he cast his eyes away from me and to the brunette girl standing behind me. "Rin?"

I quickly looked over my shoulder at her, giving her a stern look. "Don't you dare say a word." If she said anything, my entire plan would go down the toilet. She would never be with Kakashi and he'd never learn to lighten up.

"I'd rather not take sides," she squeaked.

I turned my head back around and gave Kakashi a smug and triumphant smile. My plan was still in action and he was none the wiser. He returned my smile with an eyeroll and turned his back to me. Kami, I love annoying him. It was too easy and so much fun.

I turned back around to Rin, my winning smiled not moving an inch. "How about this. While we're on this mission, I'll watch him closely so I can get a feel on how he acts around you. Deal?"

"Deal." Her voice was so low that I almost didn't hear and in that moment, something hit me. I have to get her to speak up more. I thought back to all the times I had spoken with her and watched her interact with others. She was normally a well-spoken girl. Always clear and processes with her words, but when it came to Kakashi, she was all red tinted cheeks and whispers.

"Can I make a suggestion about how you talk to him?"

"Um…sure."

"Speak clearly. I notice your voice gets softer when you talk about him, which means you probably do that to when you talk to him directly. He doesn't like people who mumble and fumble over themselves. Talk to him the same you talk to everyone else. It will make a difference."

Her cheeks flushed red for brief second before she gave me a smile. "Ok."

I returned her smile before we both walked back to the boys. They were talking about the differences and similarities between Tsunade-sensei and Minato-sensei's teaching methods. It wasn't a surprise that Minato-sensei was less abusive then Tsunade.

A couple of minutes later Minato-sensei and Tsunade-sensei made their appearance. The two blonds were packed and ready to go.

"Team 9, I'd like to introduce you to Namikaze Minato. I'm sure you've already know his team," sensei said. This was the first time I have ever met Minato-sensei in person and party of me was really giddy. It was the same sort of giddiness when I was told I would have a Sanin for a sensei.

Kouki, Ichirou, and I gave a brief way to the fastest man in Konoha. I would by lying if I had said he wasn't attractive. Normally I don't find anyone cute, but Minato-sensei is really cute. Had I not gotten Tsunade as my sensei, I might have been jealous of Rin for have him as her teacher.

Minato-sensei gave us a kind smile in reply. "The same goes for you, Team 4. This is Tsunade, a very good and old friend of mine." Tsunade-sensei gave him an annoyed glare, which made him quiver. "Not like that! I just meant that we've known each other for a long time." That was a bit of a surprise. I knew sensei was scary, but I didn't think she could make Minato-sensei rethink his choice of words. Kami, she's good.

From the corner of my eye I could see Rin and Obito's faces light up. Being with Tsunade day in and day out, sometimes I forgot how monumental she is in the shinobi world. On the other hand, the look on Kakashi's face showed that he couldn't care less. To him, she was the same as all other shinobi. So what if she is a Sanin or the most well versed medical shinobi in the world. None of that mattered to him, it never did. It was the same look he gave me when we first met. He didn't care what I had done in the past, only what I was doing now.

After regaining his composure, Minato-sensei spoke calmly, although he took a step away from Tsunade-sensei. "I'm sure you guys have noticed that our teams will be working together on this mission. It will be a great way for the six of you to learn to work with others outside of your assigned teams."

"I'm assuming all of you know that this mission shouldn't require much to any skill from us. We're assigned to be in charge of security for the week and we'll take shifts throughout the week. Minato or I will always be on duty, but the six of you will alternate in groups of two," sensei added. "There shouldn't be much of a reason for us to intervene. There might be a few drunkards that we might have to take care of, but with any luck they'll back off when they see our forehead protectors. Any questions?" All six of us shook our heads in the negative. We all knew this mission wasn't going to be any sort of a challenge, but it was a mission nonetheless, so we had to take it seriously.

Silently, the eight of us walked through the Great Gates and flew into the trees. All of us genin, except Captain Buzzkill, were smiling as we ran to Atson. This was our first mission, our first chance to prove ourselves as worth shinobi, and I couldn't wait for it to begin.

/\/\

Kakashi's POV  
Minato and Tsunade-sensei stood in front of a small wooden desk covered with papers. Behind it sat a plump older man who looked like he hadn't slept in days. The six of us stood behind our sensei's, waiting for instructions.

"There are about sixty men on staff and I'm putting the two of you in charge of all of them," and the plump man said, rummaging through some of his papers. "They know that I brought in shinobi for this job and I told them to contact you if anything were to go wrong."

"Just so you know up front, your men will also be taking orders from our students," Tsunade-sensei said in a confident tone.

The plump man looked over at the six of us, then back at Tsunade-sensei. He gave her a look of confusion and disbelief. "I'm not leaving my men to be playthings for children."

"They're not children," sensei said calmly. "They're Konoha shinobi. Don't let their age fool you."

The man took another look at us before slumping back in his seat. "Whatever, but if anything goes wrong, the slightest thing, it's on you two," he said as he pointed to our senseis. "The even starts tomorrow at 8am. There is a mandatory meeting tomorrow at 6am for all staff. Be at the main stage so I can introduce you to everyone."

"Is there anything else we should know?"

The man looked back at his paper and gave an annoyed, "no," before waving us off. We all gave the man a slight bow before exiting the room.

"Did he just wave us off," Soi asked as we walked down a crowded hallway full of people who were getting ready for the event.

"Let it go, Soi," Kouki said as he wrapped and arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. He whispered something inaudible in her ear before kissing her temple.

I couldn't contain my eyeroll as I looked away, I didn't want to. It still bothered me that she was in a team with him, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I did my best to go over to her house and spend time with her, to keep an eye on her when I could, but it wasn't enough. She hadn't said anything strange had been going on, but she wouldn't even if there was. She's too prideful for that.

The hotel we were staying at was a ten minute walk away. Each team had their own room and an extra for the other team. There were two beds in each room, so we had to share. It didn't bother me that I had to share with Obito, but I knew he kicked in his sleep. He often fell asleep during breaks when we were training and he always moved around a lot.

After we finished unpacking, the four of us left the room and went to Soi's room further down the hall. The door was propped open by small doorstopper, so we walked in.

Ichirou and Soi were looking out the sliding glass door. The setting sun cast a warm glow over Atson, which is probably what captured their attention, or at least Soi's. Kouki was still putting his stuff away and Tsunade was lounging on one of the beds.

Minato-sensei sat on the edge of the bed Tsuande was laying on. "Are you guys ready to go to dinner?"

"Yes," Soi and Ichirou shouted as they ran past Kouki and into the hallway. "Come on, guys," Soi yelled. Tsunade sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed before following them. Kouki tossed his bag on the ground and did the same. Before he made his way to the door, my team left the room so Kouki could lock it as he left.

The streets were littered with poster of the upcoming events. Venders were already selling T-shirts and other trinkets. They were all overly priced, but that didn't stop Soi from spending her money.

"Can I get an XXL in the black shirt please," she asked as she took out her small clothe purse from her pocket.

"Which black one," the vender asked nonchalantly. "The one with the purple, green, yellow, or red design?"

"Purple, please."

While the others waited for in the middle of the street, I stood by her side. All of the knickknacks the vender was selling were typical things a person could find at any local store, so why she bothered spending her money was beyond me. "Soi, I get that you're tall, but don't you think an XXL is a little big for you?"

"I want it big enough to sleep in." The vender handed her the oversized shirt while she handed him the money. "Thank you," she said with a smile before we returned to the group.

We went to a Ramin shop a few blocks from the hotel. Everyone was talking about one thing or another, except Soi and I. I was more content to listen in and, for once, she seemed like she didn't have anything to say. She was too busy looking around and taking in the sights.

"How are you adapting to wearing…that," I asked as I eyed her outfit. I know she had doubts about wearing less clothing, but she hadn't said anything about it since that night we all had dinner at her place and she didn't seem to mind it when Kouki touched her earlier.

"I'm better with it now. I still don't really like, but…ya know, I have to get use to it."

"You don't seem to have a problem being touched."

She gave me a smile before averting her gaze from me. "It doesn't bother me as much, but there's still that little voice in the back of my head to be careful." Her face softened a little as her smile faded. "I don't ever want to lose control again. I don't want do to anyone what I did to you."

Without thinking I reached out and touched her arm. She looked back up at me, her face unreadable. "You still not beating yourself up about that, are you?"

"No, but it's a good reminder that I should always be careful. Kouki thinks that if I'm held a lot, that I'll eventually get desensitized and not be "so rigid' as he puts it."

"He's right. I'm not sure if being held will work, but it's worth a shot." As much as I hate it, Kouki had a point. In order to break her fear of being touched, she'd have to be held often. And the thought of him holding her was sickening. I still didn't trust him, but I trusted her. She wouldn't allow anything to happen if she didn't want it to, at least I hope she wouldn't.

Her smile returned as she nudged me playfully. "How much did that wound your pride? Saying that Kouki was right."

I rolled my eyes and looked away. Of course she would say that just to get under my skin.

/\/\

Team 4 and 9 showed up at the main stage an hour before the meeting. They did a quick sweep around the festival grounds, noting all the exits, food stations, and landmarks. There were four small stages circling the large one in the center. They decided to use their meeting place for shift rotations or if anything goes wrong. The main office and the six trailers that the staffers used for breaks and to restrain out of control guests were at the far end of the festival grounds, by the south exit.

Most of the staff members who were attending the meeting had some sort of breakfast treat with them. There was a breakfast buffet at the trailer area and all workers were allowed to help themselves to whatever they wanted. Minato and the genin had struck to fruit and milk for breakfast while Tsunade settled for coffee. She was just as grouchy as Soi was when it came to waking up early, which Team 4 found out the hard way when they first started the mission.

There were about thirty people on the stage and the rest were on the ground, right up against it. Everyone was talking about one thing or another as they waited for the meeting to begin.

Twenty minutes after six, the plump man from the night before waddled out to the center of the stage and stood in front of the shinobi teams. Be brought the microphone he had in his hand up to his mouth before looking around at all his staff. "Quiet down, please," he said with a gruff. He still looked as if he hadn't gotten any sleep, but that didn't keep him from showing up, even if he was a little late.

The crowed of people quickly fell silent as the plump mans voice rang out over the stereo system. "Thank you. First, I'd like to thank all of you for being here so early. I know it's a bit of an inconvenience, but we have to go through this. It's probably no surprise to any of you that this event is going to be run just like last year and every other year before that. All of you need to wear your assigned shirt that say **staff** on the back so the guests can figure out who works here and who doesn't. Make sure to check in and out then minutes before and after your shift."

The crowed began to mumble again. The staff commenting to each other about something the plump man said, but none of it was of any importance. "One another note, I'm sure most of you have noticed that we have a couple strangers here with us today." The murmuring got a little louder as the man turned his attention to the shinobi. "Because of last years accident, I've brought in some extra help. These are…what were you names again," he asked as he moved the microphone from his lips and leaned in towards the shinobi. He hadn't realized until that moment that he hadn't asked them for their names.

"Minato and Tsunade," Minato said with a brief smile.

The man brought the mic back his lips and looked back over at the crowed. "Minato and Tsunade. I'm putting them and their helpers in charge of security detail." There was another, more audible uproar from the staff. Many of the staffers were protesting at the outsides, especially the security.

"Come on, it's not that bad," the plump man groaned. "It's not that bad. They're trained professionals."

"The kids aren't," someone yelled over the crowed.

Soi rolled her eyes and had to fight the urge to say something.

"But they're shinobi, so I want all of you to treat them with respect," the plump man shot back. "All security personnel is to report to them right after his meeting. If anything happens, you are to go straight to them." The groans and comments of distain for the outsides rose, regardless of what the plump man said.

The meeting went on for a few more minutes before everyone went their separate ways. Minato and the others stayed on the stage as they waited for everyone to clear out. The security staff hung around, waiting for their orders from their new bosses.

Minato walked closer to the edge of the stage and looked out at the crowed. "I know some of you must not like that we're invading in your territory, but I promise you that we will try to be as out of the way as possible." He proceeded to introduce the two teams, each of the members remaining silent as he did so. "Tsunade and I are going to work on a twelve hour shift. I'll cover the mornings and she'll cover the nights. The genin will work in three groups of two and alternate between eight-hour shifts. That means there will be three of us on duty at any given time. We'll be working the grounds along side all of you, but if you feel there is something that you can't handle, one of will be more than willing to help."

"What can those kids do that we can't," one of the security member yelled. It hadn't escaped Minato's notice, or any of the others, that most of the security staff were bulky men whose egos must be bruised at the thought of having kids being able to tell them what to do.

"They might look like much, but they're shinobi," Tsunade spoke up. She was quickly getting tired of the people in front of her belittling her students. "They'll do their job and then some."

Minato rubbed the back of his head as the surprised a laugh. He was wondering when she was going to speak up and was slightly surprise she waited so long. "Anyway, that's all I have to say. If you have any question, we'll be here until the festival starts."

The crowed quickly dispersed, leaving the annoyed shinobi alone on the stage.

"Well they seem pleasant," Soi bit out as she crossed her arms over her chest. "This is going to be a fun week."

"They're just upset because they have to take orders from kids," Rin said in a calm voice.

Ichirou nudged Soi with his elbow, which earned him a heated glare. "You're just mad you had to get up early."

"Ichirou, shut up," she shot back. It was too early in the morning for anyone to be talking to her and Ichirou knew that. Everyone else had known to steer clear of her, but Kouki and Ichirou always enjoyed pushing her.

"Now, now. Calm down you guys. I'm sure it wont be that bad," Minato said as he tried calm the riled genin. "Why don't we pick who should be in the groups and who goes first."

"Soi will go first," Tsunade said with a mischievous smirk.

"Why me!"

"Working will wake you up quicker." Soi glared at her sensei and didn't bother to hide her distain. She still wasn't wide-awake and hated the world for having to wake. In another hour or so she'd be her typical perky, sarcastic self. Until then, she couldn't care less about anyone or anything.

Minato smiled at the young girl although she didn't see it because she was too buy giving her teacher a death glare. He knew whose daughter she was and she acted so much like her mother and devilish aunt that he was surprised Tsunade hadn't gone crazy yet.

"Kakashi, you can work with Soi," the blond jonin said. Kakashi didn't say anything. It was better that he'd be partnered with than anyone else on her team. "Rin, why don't you work with Ichirou. You two can take the second shift, which leaves Obito and Kouki for the third."

Kouki looked less than pleased about the entire thing. He didn't know Obito very well and he didn't care to. Soi could've been partnered with anyone else and he would've been fine, but she had to be partnered with the one person he hated more than anyone else in the world.

"The two of you, follow me to the office," Minato said as he started off the stage.

"Sensei, what do we until our shift," Rin asked as she moved to stand next to Ichirou.

"Relax, rest, and enjoy the festival. Just make sure you're on time for your shift," Minato called over his shoulder has he, Kakashi, and Soi headed for the security trailers.

Ichirou didn't have to be told twice. He was given the opportunity to have fun and he was going to take it. His wrapped round Rin's before he bolted off the stage and ran to the closest food stand. Tsunade's lips turned upwards slightly before she also started off stage, leaving Obito and Kouki alone.

Obito turned to Kouki, slightly uncomfortable. He hadn't talked to Kouki since they were in the academy and even then they only mixed words a few times. "So, what do you want to do for the next sixteen hours?"

Kouki looked over at Obito for a brief moment before looking back at the direction Soi left in. "I'd like to be with Soi, but that's not going to happen," he said coldly before walking off the stage.

/\/\

Minato, Kakashi, and Soi were given a set of walky-talkies and black shirts that said **staff** on the back. They were standard for all staffers. The three shinobi tossed their black shirts on over their current attire. Minato had to remove his flack jacket all together so the guess could see the words on the back. Discarding his jacket made him feel uncomfortable at first, but he quickly figured that he wouldn't need it on this mission.

Several of the security staff commented that Kakashi need to take off his father's blade in order for guests to read his shirt. This angered the young boy greatly. The blade on his back was part of him and he had no intention of tossing it aside. Minato suggested that Kakashi move the blade to his side before a fight broke out. He was less concerned for Kakashi's safety then the large security guards.

On the other hand, Soi had no problems with her attire. Her staff shirt was the first time, besides her pajamas, that covered her stomach. She was more than happy to wear a normal shirt again, but fate was not so kind.

"Just because Tsunade isn't hear, doesn't mean you can slack of on your training," Minato said with a knowing smile. Soi looked at him questionably, not really sure what he was talking about. "Tie your shirt."

"But we're on a mission."

"Yes, but you're still in training. This is a good chance to you to put what you've learned to the test."

Reluctantly, Soi did as she was told. She took out a kunai from her leg pouch and cut a slit in the side of her shirt. After putting the blade back in its holder, she curled up the ends of her shirt and made a large tie at her side.

Several of the security staff looked at the three shinobi, completely baffled at what had just happened. A few of them were stunned at the speed and accuracy Soi had with her weapon while others didn't understand why the older man told her to knot her shirt.

"Dude," one of the younger security guards, in his early twenties, said as he took a few steps closer to his temporary bosses. "What the hell?" The three shinobi looked at the young man in confusion. "What's with you making her hike up her shirt? She's a kid. If anything, she's not wearing enough." The man's voice was dripping with annoyance and anger.

"It's not what you think," Minato said calmly. "She's in training."

"For what? Being you're plaything?"

"Hey," Soi and Kakashi yelled in unison. Their bodies went rigid as they stood in front of Minato, creating a human shield between him and the man who dared say such a think against one of Konoha's finest.

"Don't you dare disrespect him," Soi said angrily. She glared at the man in front of her, absolutely livid at what he had just said. "And don't speak about what you don't know."

"It's alright, you two. Calm down," Minato said calmly as he reached out for the genin and pulled them closer to him by their shoulders. He could read the two young shinobi like a book. Everything about their body language screamed anger, but he couldn't let them act on it. He could understand where they were coming from, but knew from personal experience that they had to be restrained.

He could tell that Soi was outraged, but he was more worried about his own student. Kakashi never spoke when he was angry. He always calculated, careful about what to say or do. It's always the quiet ones to be worried about.

Soi looked over her shoulder at the strong man. She didn't understand why he was being so calm about the situation, but followed his lead. He was older and knew best. Kakashi did the same, but glared at the man who dared speak such blasphemy before turning to his teacher.

"Let's head to our posts," Minato said with a sigh as he pushed the genin towards the door. Once they were safely outside, Minato let go of the young shinobi. "Try not to get into any fights, you two." The two genin nodded their heads before they started off on their laps around the grounds. The festival was going to start soon and they figured they'd start working a little early.

Soi still had about an hour left before she snapped out of her typical bad mood and into her normal good mood, but Kakashi made sure to get his kicks while he still could. Annoying Soi had become his past time on this mission and he enjoyed it to no end. This was his way of getting back at her for all the annoying things she had done to him. "I don't think I said good morning to you today." She glared at him for a few minutes before rolling her eyes and looking forward as they walked. "I noticed that you didn't say it to me either."

"Not now, Kakashi," she hissed.

Kakashi smirked in triumph. It didn't take long for him to get under her skin. "I just think its bad manners. We should be more civil to each other."

"Kakashi, I swear I'll punch you if you don't shut up." She was till upset at what had happened at the security trailer, which only fueled her typical morning anger.

"That's a little much, don't you think?" Soi glared at him again, the heat from her eyes was more intense than the first time. "Don't look so mad. I'm just trying to be-" Soi effectively shut him up by successfully landing a hard punch on his arm. "That was mean."

"I'll do it again if you keep talking." Kakashi gave her a masked heartwarming smile, one bigger than he had ever given anyone, as he started to laugh hysterically. He really loved annoying her and he would never get bored with it. "What's so funny?"

"You. You're so easy to annoy. It's like taking candy from a baby." Soi rolled her eyes and tried to punch him again, but Kakashi caught her punch. "It's not nice to hit your friends."

"Whatever," she growled as she ripped her hand out of Kakashi grip and stormed off.

The rest of their time spent together went flawlessly. Soi snapped out of her grouchy mood and turned back into her perky self. There were no disturbances that required their attention. Before they knew it, their eight hours were up and Ichirou and Rin were replacing them.

The four of them chatted idle for a few minutes before separating, but one thing caught Rin's attention. Kakashi seemed more relaxed then he normally did. His body wasn't as tense and is mannerisms were very passive, nothing like the Kakashi she knew.

Part of her was happy to seem him so relaxed, but the other part of her was jealous. She knew instantly why he was so happy and it saddened her to no end. Since the moment they met up with Soi's team at the Great Gate, Kakashi had acted different. If Rin had jumped on him the way Soi did, he would've pushed her off in a heartbeat. She wanted to be able to be like that with him, so close and carefree, but she feared she never would be.

/\/\

Soi and Kakashi stopped at one of the local venders for lunch before heading back to the hotel. They each had hotdogs and shared a large bowl of cheese fries as they sat at a picnic bench. For a while, they remained quiet. Both of them enjoying watching the crowed of people around them as they ate silently, but their blissful silence ended when Soi finally decided to speak up about what was really on her mind.

"What do you think of Rin," Soi asked as she took a bite of her hotdog.

Kakashi studied her closely before answering. Nothing about her voice or body language hinted to where she was leading this conversation and that bothered him. It upset him tremendously that he couldn't read her and she knew it, but then he had thought back to the conversation they had all those months ago and sighed. "Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"Yes, but we never really finished it."

"Why are you so intent on me liking Rin?"

"Why are you so intent on not liking her?"

"It's not that I dislike her, its just…she's not right for me."

Soi rolled her eyes at him before eating another fry. "You don't know that. She might be perfect for you."

"Soi-"

"At the very least be nice to her. She's your teammate, Kakashi. You two are going to be stuck together for a long time. You might as well be friends."

"Being friends and being teammates are two very different things."

"Not really," she mumbled even though she knew full well that he could hear her. "What about Obito? How do you get along with him?"

"Why are you asking me all these question?"

Why wouldn't I ask you all these questions?"

Kakashi started to get annoyed with Soi's prodding fast. She had no business prying through his life and he was starting to resent her for it. "What about you? Do you like being with Ichirou and Kouki?"

"Yes," she replied proudly. "I love being with them."

"And they don't get on your nerves?"

"Of course they do, but that's to be expected."

"And you consider them your friends?"

"Of course I do." Soi's words were so sharp and honest that they almost stung Kakashi. During the day of graduation he told her to be careful around Kouki and now he was wondering if she was actually doing that. She was so eager to make friends that she could be mistaking anything he said or did to her strictly as a friendly thing. After the incident with Ukyo and the other, Kakashi question everything Kouki did. He wasn't sure how much Soi actually knew about what had happened, but obviously it wasn't enough. Worst of all, the odds were stacked against him if he decided to tell her the truth. She was so blind sighted when it came to the violet-eyed boy that she would defend him against any onslaught. "One more question."

"What?"

"Do you still dislike Kouki?"

Kakashi sighed before turning his head away from her and looking over the sea of people around them. Thousands of people had arrived and the noise was enough to give him a headache. Between them and Soi's constant questions, he was ready for a nap. "Lets go back to the hotel," he said as he got up, not giving her another look.

Soi swooped up the carton of fries and her unfinished hotdog and followed after him, neither of them saying anything until they reached the hotel.

/\/\

It didn't escape Obito or Kouki that Soi and Kakashi weren't talking to each other. They wouldn't even look at each other if they could help it. The four genin sat in Team 4's room and watched TV while Tsunade slept in Team 9's room.

"So, how was the festival," Obito asked, hoping the break the ice between his teammates.

"Fine," Kakashi and Soi said at the same time, their voices as cold as ice.

As badly as Obito wanted to know what was wrong with them, he didn't dare speak again. He knew what Kakashi was like when he was angry, but didn't want to know what Soi was like. She was a sporadic handful on a good day, so there was no telling what she was like on a bad day. On the other hand, Kouki was thoroughly enjoying himself. Although he had no idea why they two genin weren't talking to each other, he was more than happy they weren't. Any reason for Soi to not talk to Kakashi was a good reason in his eyes.


	13. First Mission Pt 2

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 10 – First Mission Pt. 2

Soi and Kakashi's fight didn't last past the first night of the festival. They never settled their argument, but they started talking to each other again. It was rare for them to ever stay angry at each other for long; especially over an argument they both knew neither of them to win.

Kouki had perked up a bit. The few hours he was able to be with Soi brought him out of his depressed mood and back into reality. Kakashi had noticed of course. He noticed everything Kouki did when it came to Soi. Kouki was constantly at her side. She could hardly walk five feet without him questioning where she was going or following her. It disgusted the silver haired boy to no end.

The first three days of the festival was almost flawless. The worst problem that needed to be taken care of was to find a lost child, which didn't take the shinobi more than ten minutes to do. The fact that Ichirou and Rin were able to find a five year old in a sea of thousands of people so quickly changed the minds of several security staff members. Most of them who initially hated the idea of kids acting as security had now come to like the idea.

It wasn't until the sixth day of the concert did a fight break out. Kakashi and Soi decided to wake up early and see what the festival was like at night while Rin and Ichirou were just about to relinquish their duties to Obito and Kouki, when they got a call over the radio. "We need some help over at the main stage," a panic voice yelled over the radio. "There's a riot right up against the stage and we can't get the people to back off."

Rin and Ichirou looked up at their friends. "Do you guys want to take care of it, or should we," Ichirou asked with an annoyed sigh.

"We'll do it," Obito almost yelled with excitement as he took Rin's walky-talky and clipped it to his hip. "It's about time for some action." Kouki was equally thrill for a chance at some action as he took Ichirou's radio and promptly dismissed them.

"There's a fight by the food area," another voice yelled from the radio. "There's about six, no wait…eight guys I think. I'm not sure. They're drunk and fighting over something."

Obito and Kouki looked at each other. "Which one do you want to take," Obito asked.

"Flip a coin? Heads for the stage, tails for the drunks." Obito nodded and took out a small coin from his pocket. Just as he was about to flip it, the unknown voice from their radio spoke up again.

"Never mind about the fight at the food court. Two of those Konoha kids are on it."

"Dude, their kids," another voice spoke. "Help them out."

"From where I'm standing, they don't need it. You guys should get over here and watch this," the first voice said with a laugh.

Obito and Kouki's once pumped up mentality deflated instantly. "That's no fair. Now we're only stuck doing one," Obito whined.

"One is better than none, I guess," Kouki said as he grabbed his partner's arm and started for the main stage. "Tsunade-sensei will kill us if we don't get there quickly."

/\/\

Soi and Kakashi were sitting at one of the picnic benches in the food court. They were laughing and smiling about to themselves, completely ignoring the world around them. They shared a large funnel cake topped with warm apple slices and a large fountain drink.

"Are you excited to be a sister," Kakashi asked as he watched her looking at three small children playing together a few feet from them.

Soi smiled at the thought of being a sister. It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. "Yeah. I mean, I've always felt like a big sister because of Tashina, but now I actually get the title. But, I'm not happy that there's going to be another baby in the house." Kakashi chuckled, which only made Soi glare at him playfully. "I'm serious. More scream, smelly diapers, and nasty baby vomit all over the place. Kids are not fun until the three or four. Even then, sometimes they're unbearable."

She saw Kakashi's lips pull up in a smirk under his mask. Her own lips pulled back in a smile as she sat her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. "You smile a lot more than you use to. I like." Kakashi quickly righted himself and looked away, his playful demeanor vanishing. "Don't be embarrassed, it's cute."

"I'm not cute," he said curtly.

"Sure you are. You just don't know it."

Kakashi looked back over to her to see a bright smile on her face. It was the same smile she gave everyone when she was happy, but that stop him from thinking she looked pretty. Although he didn't speak about it, he had noticed changes in himself since she came around. He was more relaxed than he use to be and laughed more. Something about her always made him feel happy, even when they were arguing.

Soi was about to say something else when the sound of broken glass caught their attention. They both looked to the side to see several grown fighting, some trying to smash beer bottles over each other. Several security guards came into view and tried to break up the fight, but several other drunkards joined in on the fight. Once of the security guards got on the radio and frantically started talking into it. It was obvious that he didn't know what to do, so the two genin took matters into their own hands.

Quicker than any civilian could register, Soi and Kakashi were out of their seats and right in the middle of the brawl. Some of the security guards had already restrained the weaker, leaving the bulkier drunks to Soi and Kakashi.

"T-this doesn't conc-cern you little girl," one of them men said as he stumbled over his words. He tried to move around Soi, but she placed a powerful hand on his chest and pushed him away from the guys Kakashi was taking care of.

"Why don't you calm down and have a seat," she replied calmly. "I can get you some water and some Aspirin." Another drunk tried to stumble past her, but she pushed him back as well. "That goes for you too."

The first man glared down at the curly haired girl. Like most people who knew nothing about the shinobi world, he mistook her for nothing more than a child. He roughly pushed her to the side and expected that to be the end of it, but he didn't expect what would come next. Soi grabbed the man's hand and twisted it behind his back before kicking the back of his knee, making him fall to the ground. The man tried to free himself from her grasp, but she wouldn't give him an inch.

The second lunged forward, almost stumbling over himself as he did so. Soi watched in amusement as he fell flat on his face next to her. As he scrambled to stand back up, she placed a hand on the back of his leg and used the smallest bit of chakra to immobilize him. "Stay there for a second, ok?" Once he was down, she did the same to the man below her before standing up and looking over at Kakashi. He had already subdued two men and was helping security with the third.

"Want help," said in a bored tone. Now that she was done wrestling her drunks to the ground, she was left wanting for more.

"No," Kakashi groaned as the flipped the third man to the ground. He landed with a loud thump that made several of the on lookers faces contort into empathetic pain. Once the security members had a firm grip on him, Kakashi looked over at the two men at Soi's feet. He noticed they were both grabbing their legs and muttering something impossible to hear. "What's wrong with them?"

"I gave them a light zap," she said nonchalantly as she allowed the security guards to haul them away. "They'll regain feeling in an hour or so."

"Do you think that was a smart thing to do?"

"Would you have preferred it if I had broken their legs," she said over her shoulder as she returned to the picnic table.

Kakashi followed her, but took one final look at the limping men before sitting down. "I was just wondering how much better your control has gotten since we last spared."

"Much better," she replied with a prideful grin. "Sensei has me on a strict chakra control lesson, but it's helping a lot."

"But was it wise for you to-"

"Hey," a fatigued, but perky voice yelled over the crowed. The two genin turned their attention to a young woman, one of the only few females on security, came running towards them. She was carrying several shards of broken glass in her hand, some spilling in her hustle to reach them. She was one of the few security members around when the fight broke out, but she was too weak to help. "I just wanted to say thank you for all your-" but the girl didn't get to finish.

The girl started to fall forward; eyes squeezed shut and her arms outstretched as she braced herself for impact. Two small and mismatched arms stretched out to steady the falling girl, successfully holding her in place before she hit the ground.

"Are you alright," Soi asked as she and Kakashi helped the girl stand. Kakashi let go of her once she was on her feet, but Soi kept a tight grip just to make sure she was ok.

"Oh, uh…yes, I'm fine." The girl's face flushed bright red from utter embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to practically fall on you guys. I just wanted to say thank you for what you guys did. You know, breaking up the fight."

"That's our job," Kakashi said as he went to sit back down.

"I-I know, but it was still nice of you. You could've gotten hurt, but you did it anyway."

Soi rolled her eyes at the blushing girl and walked back to the table. There was no reason for her to be showering them with gratitude since they were getting paid to keep the peace, but most of all, there was no reason for the girl to be blushing. What they had done in order to break up the fight was nothing spectacular.

Kakashi looked over at the blabbering girl and noticed she had a bloody handprint on her lower arm. "One of you are bleeding," he pointed out as he looked between them.

As the girl looked at her arm so to did Soi look at her hand. "It's me," the curly haired kunoichi said with an annoyed sigh. "Do any of the food courts have a first aid kit?"

The girl's faces twisted in shock as she quickly looked away from the blood. "Uh, y-yes. I'll go get one," she muttered before running off.

The two shinobi watched her run off before they looked back at Soi's bloody hand. "She's…interesting."

Kakashi ignored her as he gently took her bleeding hand in his. "What did you do?"

"I think I caught some glass as she fell. I didn't even notice until you said something." She took a closer look at the glass embedded in her hand. The wound wasn't deep and she wasn't bleeding much. All she need was to clean it up and slap a Band-Aid on it.

"Only you wouldn't notice a wound."

"But really, what's her deal?" Kakashi rolled his eyes and dropped her hand. He mentally yelled at her for having a short attention span and not caring about the real issue at hand. "Doesn't she know that we're getting paid to do things like break up fights and make sure that everything goes smoothly?"

"If it bugs you, just ignore her."

"But it's so stupid to be thank for something so small."

"You say please and thank you more than anyone I know. If someone had cleaned up a mess for you and you didn't thank the person, you mother would have your head. Maybe she's like you."

"Yeah, but…but she's not me," Soi said with a playful pout. She hadn't thought of it like that. "I guess you're right."

"How badly did that hurt you ego? Saying I'm right," he replied teasingly. Soi glared at him playful and stuck her tongue out at him. Kakashi gave her a small masked smile before his eyes locked on to a figure behind her. The security girl was running back towards them, a small white box in her hand. "She's coming back…running back is more like it," he whispered.

"Why is she running? She's terrible at it."

A few moments later the girl came to a screeching halt behind Soi. She set the first aid kit on the table and sat down next to the wounded Soi. "S-sorry I took so long. I, um, I'm not very good at this k-kind of stuff. B-blood isn't really my thing, ya know?"

"Don't worry," Soi said calmly, yet slightly annoyed, as she opened the kit. She took out two sanitizing wipes and handed one to the skittish girl. "Here. Clean up the blood before it dies." The girl took the wipe eagerly and did as she was told. She quickly cleaned her arm of the blood and set the wipe down on the table. Her eyes were glued to Soi as she did the same, which didn't escape the kunoichi's gaze. "Um, you can go if there is somewhere you need to be."

"But I want to make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

"But-"

"You should go before you get in trouble," Kakashi said forcefully as he backed Soi.

The girl looked hesitant at first, but she slowly got up and backed away from them. "Um, thank you again for earlier and I'm so sorry you got hurt."

Soi gave the girl a forced smile. Next to being the center of attention, she hated being thanked repeatedly for something, no matter what it was. "Don't worry about it." She gave the girl a final waver before she disappeared into the crowd. "Kami, that was painful," Soi groan as she turned back to the task at hand.

Kakashi smirked as she watched Soi disinfect her wound. "Physically or emotionally?"

"Haha, very funny, Hataki," Soi replied, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"I thought it was. Right up until it became unbearable."

They both smirked at each other before falling silent. Their eyes were fixed on still bleeding hand between them. After Soi was done sanitizing it, she used her nails to dig out the pieces of glass in her hand. Once the glass was out, she rummaged through the kit only to discover that there were no palm-sized bandages. Instead, she took a few cotton sheets and pressed them against the cut before wrapping it with medical wrap.

"Sensei and the others are going to flip when they see this," Soi mumbled as she held up her handy work. "It looks worse than it really is."

"Once we explain what happened, they'll be fine."

Soi didn't say anything for a bit. She continued to look at her hand before remembering something her mother use to tell her. Her arm outstretched, her palm facing up towards Kakashi. He looked at it then back at her, not really understands what she was doing. "Kiss it."

Kakashi's brows knitted together in confusion as he looked at the girl before him in disbelief. "What?"

"Mom says a kiss will make everything better. Kiss it."

"Are you crazy?"

"A little," she said with a smile. "Come on. It's never going to get better if you don't kiss it."

"You're out of your mind," he said before getting up and starting to the nearest exit. Soi quickly shot up and followed close behind him. She continued to poke fun at him for the rest of the night. She knew her comment would embarrass him and she loved it. He did everything in his power to ignore her, but she was still there. Still following him, still annoying him, and still making him smile, even though he was doing a very good job to hide the lesser of the three.

/\/\

When it was time for Minato, Kakashi, and Soi to relieve Tsunade, Obito, and Kouki, two things happened. First, Kouki was extremely unhappy that Soi had hurt herself and blamed Kakashi for it. Soi had to explain several times that it was her fault for not paying attention and that Kakashi had nothing to do with it, but that didn't calm his anger.

Second, Soi tried to show Tsunade what had happened to her, but the blond Sanin wanted nothing to do with her. Her face turned as pale as a ghost and she quickly excused herself from the group of shinobi.

"Don't worry, Soi. Tsunade told me before her shift that she wasn't feeling well," Minato said as he took a look at Soi's hand. He acted in Tsunade's place to make sure the wound was cared for properly and to his surprise, it was. "You did a good job cleaning it up."

"Thanks. My dad taught me how to clean and stitch small words." Soi's dark eyes looked in the direction her sensei had left in. "Is she going to be ok? She didn't look well."

Minato gave her a reassuring smile as he rewrapped her hand. "I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a strong woman and will bounce back." Soi nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Tsunade had never been sick or acted like that before and it worried the young girl.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. There were a few other fights and uproars, but nothing they couldn't handle. Tsunade had bounced back from her supposed sickness, but kept a safe distance from Soi every time they were around each other.

When the week finally ended, the genin were finally ready to go home. It had been a long and mostly boring week. While Minato and Tsunade in the office talking to plump man to tell him that they were leaving, the rest of the team were sitting outside the trailer.

"I'm so ready to go home," Ichirou groaned as he kicked a small stone. "I can't wait to sleep in."

"Same," Soi said as she rested her head on Kouki's shoulder, her eyelids sliding close. He smiled sweetly at her before wrapping and arm around her and pulling her close.

Rin smiled to herself as she looked at the happy display of affection before her. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, she envied Soi for what she had. In the past week she had noticed time and again how close Soi was with her teammates. They acted like one big happy family and that's all Rin wanted. She longed to be that close with Kakashi, but feared she'd never would. She and Obito were on a good standing, but it was as if Kakashi was purposely putting up a wall between himself and the rest of the world. When her eyes flickered over to Kakashi, her smile faded as quickly as it appeared. He was staring at Soi and Kouki with evident distain.

"Let's go," Tsunade said as she and Minato walked out of the trailer. The six genin, who were previously sitting on the ground, bolted up. As excited as they were in the beginning to start the mission, they were now equally as excited to go home.

"Ms. Mirika told us to apologies and thank you again for the other night," Minato said over his shoulder to Soi and Kakashi as they all followed Tsunade's lead and began to exit the village.

Soi's brows knitted in confusion at the name. "Who is Karita?"

"Mirika Karita is Mr. Mirika's daughter," Kouki said from Soi's side. When Soi's evident confusion didn't let up, the violet-eyed boy chuckled. "The fat boss guy." Soi's lips formed a silent O as realization dawned on her.

"Kouki," Tsunade said as she stopped walking and let the young boy catch up with her. Kouki looked forward and stood by his teacher's side, waiting to hear what she had to say. As quick as a flash, the blond Sanin slapped her student on the back of the head before walking again. "Don't make fun of the people who are paying you…at least until you get back to the village."

Soi and Ichirou started laughing hysterically at Kouki's pain, but when Tsunade glared at them over her shoulder, they fell silent.

"Yes, sensei," Kouki said while rubbing the back of his. He looked at his friends, who now had poorly restrained smirks on their faces, and groaned. It wasn't the first time she had done that to him and he knew it wasn't going to be the last.

As the eight shinobi headed home, Rin couldn't help but watch Soi. Everyone was happy and smiling, except the love struck kunoichi. She envied Soi's ability to talk to the one person she dreamed about have a conversation with that lasted longer than five minutes.

"Hey Rin," Soi said with her typical smile has she hopped over to the brunets side. Rin couldn't help, but smile at her friend. Soi's random antics always make her laugh. "We have to talk about Kakashi. He's not making this easy for us."

/\/\

After the long trip home and everyone giving their individual statements to the Hokage, everyone was ready to go home and crash.

"You two," Soi said as she pointed to Rin and Obito. "My house, 6pm, don't be late."

"For what," the young Uchiha asked. "And where do you live?"

"For dinner, of course. Make Kakashi take you." Soi's dark eyes met Kakashi as she smirked. She knew he didn't like being volunteered for things without his permission, but she knew he would do it anyway. "My mom said I needed to invite all of you over before we left, but I'm just now remembering it."

Rin and Obito looked to Kakashi for some guidance. They were friendly with Soi, especially after the mission, but they weren't very close. Kakashi nodded his head before walking past them and started home. "I'll meet you guys at the bridge at 5:40," he yelled over his shoulder.

Before either Obito or Rin could say anything about the dinner Kouki, Ichirou, and Soi were already heading their separate ways. Soi and Kouki walked together, since they lived in the same direction, while Ichirou veered off on his own.

Kouki looked at Soi as he walked, which made Soi look at him from the corner of her eye. She hated being the focus of attention, especially when the person watching her was silent. "Will you come home with me," the violet-eyed boy asked somewhat shyly. "I want you to meet my mom."

Soi give him her full attention and smiled brightly. Kouki had been over to her house countless times, but this was the first time he ever talked about his mother and his home. She had always suspected that he kept his home life a secret from her for a reason, but she never confronted him about it. She would allow him to talk when he was ready. "I'd love to."

"Good." Kouki's strong hand grabbed her uninjured one before pulling her in the direction of his house. They lived six blocks away from each other and as they walked, Soi hoped she wouldn't run into anyone in her family. If she did, she knew they would stop her and ask why she didn't come straight home. Thankfully, they made it without seeing any Catsuko's.

"My mom's been dying to meet you," he said as they entered an apartment building and started for the fourth floor.

"Then why have you kept me a secret," she teased.

When they reached the door, he dug into his pocket and took out his keys. As he unlocked the door, he looked over at her and smirked. "Because I wanted to have you all to myself."

/\/\

AN: Sorry for the wait, but the next chapter is where things start to get fun.


	14. The Mission That Started It All

AN: I need to learn to stop writing at night. Maybe then I wont make so many mistakes. Or I need to find someone to edit my chapters once I'm done with them.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 11 – The Mission That Started It All

After the success of their first mission, Team 9 felt unbeatable. Tsunade was proud of their achievement, but also scolded them for being too proud. One successful mission didn't mean anything, especially a low level one.

Mission after mission, the three genin were progressively getting better. Tsunade made sure to praise them for their efforts whenever they did something right, especially Soi. The young girl reminded her of her old student and the girl was quickly become a younger version of her father. For the first few weeks of Soi's individual training, the girl would often became angry at herself for not being able to pick up on the new technique as quickly as she would like, but there was no doubt in Tsunade's mind the Soi would eventually become a terrific shinobi.

It didn't escape Kouki and Ichirou's notice how close Soi and Tsunade had become. Although Tsunade never said it out loud, Soi was definitely her favorite student. The girl's quirkiness was toped only by her will and determination to better herself. Even when they weren't training, the young genin proved to be a joyful handful. She would often visit her sensei and constantly asked about her teacher's adventures. Countless hours were spent recapping Tsunade's life, from her loving family to her dearest friends. But there were some things that she didn't dare tell her student. Not out of fear of judgment, but because she physically couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Like always, Soi, Kouki, and Ichirou were waiting at the training ground for their teacher, but instead of Tsunade, they were greeted by another legendary figure. It wasn't the first time that Jiraiya showed up in Tsunade's place and they knew it wasn't going to be the last.

"How is it that the worlds most prominently medical shinobi gets sick this often," Kouki asked Jiraiya as he took a healthy step away from Soi. Right before the white haired man entered the training grounds, Kouki thought it would be funny to poke fun at the still sleepy Soi. In retaliation she used her ability numb both of Kouki's arms.

Jiraiya smirked at the young man, knowing full well what must have happened to him by reading his body language and Soi's heated glare. "You're guess is as good as mine, but onto a better topic. The four of us are going on a mission." The two young boys perked up at the sound of a new mission, but Soi still looked annoyed. Not even a mission could bring her out of her morning blues. "We'll be going to Fujita village in It's in the Land of Rivers between the Wind and Fire Country. It's a simple retrieval mission. Our orders are to pick up documents and return to the village as quickly as possible."

"What kinds of documents," Ichirou asked.

"Once that we don't need to know about. They're for the Hokage's eyes only." Kouki and Ichirou smiled to each other, ignoring their third teammate. They had gotten use to her nasty morning attitude long ago and only pick on her when they're bored. "I have to warn you that this mission won't be all fun and games. This mission was supposed to be given to more advanced shinobi, but everyone who isn't acting as a team leader for genin squads is busy." This bit of information was enough to catch Soi's attention. Her normal anger slowly subsided as she paid more attention. "While we're working, you are to follow everything I say, exactly as I say it. There's no room for mistakes."

As Kouki and Ichirou continued to rejoice, Soi couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. "How dangerous is this mission going to be exactly?"

Jiraiya's eyes locked onto Soi's as he studied her more closely. He could tell she was torn between rejoicing with her friends or calculating just how dangerous this mission will be. "With luck, we'll make it there and back without much hassle, but there is a chance we might run into other shinobi along the way, which is why I need the three of you to be on guard the entire time."

A wicked smirked etched its way onto Soi's face. Like the boys, she had gotten tired of low risk, low level missions fast. After the first five missions, she craved a challenge. Sure they had gotten into fights here and there, but they were all too easy and ended quickly.

The look on the young genin's face brought a mixture of excitement and worry to Jiraiya. He thought back to when he was that young and foolish. How he craved excitement and more dangerous missions, but didn't receive them until his sensei deemed him ready. But at the same time, he wished this mission had been assigned to him alone.

_Flashback  
"I can do this mission on my own," Jiraiya complained with his hands folded across his chest. "It is too dangerous to take three inexperienced genin with me."_

_Sarutobi rested his elbows on the wooden desk in front of him. His elbows propped up, fingers knitted together in one fist as he looked intently at his ex student. "I understand your concerns, Jiraiya, but if my hunch is correct, the genin of this village are going to need all the experience they can get. Things have been building up for a while. It's only a matter of time before we are faced with the inevitable trouble that will befall this village."_

_Jiraiya didn't bother to respond, he didn't have to. The Hokage had kept him and his former teammates in the loop about what's been going on between Konoha and the other great shinobi villages. It had worried him night after night as it did Tsunade and Orochimaru. In some ways, he understood where his old sensei was coming from, but at the same time he wished he could spare the younger shinobi the needless bloodshed of a war._

"_Tsunade wont accompany them on this mission for obvious reasons, so I need you to go in her place. Hopefully this will be a simple retrieval mission, but if anything happens I know that they'll be safe with you." Jiraiya dropped his arms and let his shoulders sag in defeat. He had never said no to his old teacher before and he wasn't going to do it now. "Don't be afraid to use their talents. Tsunade's trained them, so they have to be good."_

_A knowing smirked crossed the Sanin's lips and he reverted back to his typical happy mood. "What makes you say that? Maybe all their missions up to this point were just dumb luck."_

"_I trained the three of you, which means your students have to be somewhat good."  
End Flashback_

Team 9 left Konoha shortly after they received mission orders from Jiraiya. The genin were almost jumping out of their skin with excitement as they flew through the trees towards Fujita. It took several days to reach the small village, but the time seemed to fly by. Even Soi's morning blues were nowhere to be seen.

After speeding through the woods for several days, they finally arrived in Fujita. While the genin were still excited for a potentially dangerous mission, Jiraiya as constantly on edge, constantly searching for any danger. There were a few things in the woods that caught his attention, but nothing he acted on, but it was what was in the village that made all the shinobi pause in suspicion.

The second they stepped into Fujita, everything went silent. When the civilians locked onto them, every conversation ended as they stepped away from the approaching shinobi. A mixture of fear and anger written on all their faces.

"Why is everyone looking at us like that," Ichirou asked as he light eyes scanned the crowed.

Soi looked away from the crowed and up at Jiraiya. "Were they expecting us?"

"Only one person in this village knew we were coming," he replied, his tone a bit harsher than it usually was. "In order to get a reaction like this, other shinobi's must have past through here and probably weren't very kind. Keep a sharp eye out and don't say anything."

Silently, Jiraiya led the young genin to a small café in the heart of the village. Along the way they received several anonymous death threats from the crowed. The people of the small village made it clear that they didn't want shinobi in their home.

When they reached the café, they were greeted with the same cold glares. "You three, stay out here," Jiraiya said as he moved to the register. "I need to talk with the manager." His team watched him closely as he asked the cashier to speak to the manager. Reluctantly, the cashier did as he was asked and retrieved an older gentleman from the back room. The older man ushered Jiraiya to follow him, which he did without a word.

Feeling out of place, the young genin sat the only table that was available. Several of the customers started to talk again, but only in hushed tones, while others continued to stare at them.

"I hate when people look at me," Soi mumbled under her breath, her eyes glued to the table so she wouldn't have to see anyone eyeing her.

Kouki and Ichirou chuckled at her, but their focus on the crowed. No one stuck out to them, but that didn't mean none of the people were a threat. They sat there for half and hour before one of the staff members walked to their table. "The boss and your friend want to see you," he said harshly before walking away.

They got up silently and went to the back room that Jiraiya had disappeared into. It was a cold room, much too cold for Soi's liking, but she got over it quickly. Jiraiya and the older man were sitting at a table with a scroll in front of them. Since there were no more chairs, the genin were forced to stand.

Jiraiya looked up at them, his face more serious than they have ever seen before. He picked up the scroll carefully and handed it to Soi. She took it, but looked at her sensei questionably. "Soi, from this point on, you are the team leader."

This came as a shock not only to her, but to the rest of her team as well. "What about you?"

"I am going to go on ahead of you. It seems that weren't the first shinobi to get here. There are other teams from other villages here, and we need to get the scroll back to Konoha as soon as possible. I'm going to leave first to clear a path for you. The three of your will leave in three hours to give me enough time."

"Enough time for what," Ichirou asked.

"Enough time to do what I have to if anything comes up. No matter what you have to do, that scroll has to reach Konoha." The intensity of his words and the manner of which he said it quickly diminished their resolve. Instead of being pumped about a mission where they could put their skills to the test, now they were questioning if they could pull this mission off. One of the first rules for a leader of a genin team is to never leave your team. If so, then it had to be for a good reason.

"What about you? What happens if we catch up with your or can't find you?"

Jiraiya stood from his chair and moved to stand in front of his temporary students. They looked up at him with curious eyes, but all he could do was smile. The words of his sensei started to come back to him as he looked at the three young shinobi before him. Although Tsunade was officially their teacher, he made sure to help with training every now and then. The only thing better than being taught by a Sanin was being taught by two and with that thought; he knew that the three strong shinobi before him would be okay.

"If all goes well, there should be no reason for you to catch up to me and I'll see you back at Konoha. However, if you do catch up to me, the means I'm most likely fighting our enemy. If this happens I want you to go around the battle and continue on to Konoha." He watch as their faces contoured in confusion at the very thought of leaving a friend behind. "That scroll is more important than my life. You have to get it home at any cost." His eyes were now locked on Soi. He could tell that she was the one most affected by his words. In his short time of knowing her, he had realized just how responsible she was. "Soi, I need you to get them home. Can you do that?"

Jiraiya almost burst into a fit of laughter as she gave him an annoyed glare. All traces of worry gone. She tucked the scroll in one of the pouches she had attached to her waste and gave her sensei her signature mischievous smirk. "Of course I can."

Three hours later, after a quick lunch and a lazy stroll around the village, they left Fujita. They remained silent as they flew through the trees. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and still they did not find any sign of Jiraiya or any type of enemy. It was a three day hike back to Konoha and the first three days went off without a problem, but evening of the third day was when trouble started.

The sun had just begun to set when Soi and the others reached familiar territory. The ten miles outside of Konoha and they couldn't be happier. Their pace slowed as they jumped down from the trees, thinking that Jiraiya was already safe at the village and that they would be too, which turned out to be a fatal mistake.

Before they even knew what happened or where they came from, six figures appeared out of nowhere. Three of them stayed in the trees while the other three surrounded them in a triangle shape. The three genin instantly stood back to back and observed the situation. All six figures had the Iwagakure

symbol on their forehead protectors.

"Oh, look. Genin," one of the female figures said as from the trees. "This is going to be easy."

"Don't be mean, Kitta," another shinobi said. "They might be chunin."

"Oh, so sorry."

The three genin rolled their eyes at the enemy "Family members," Kouki asked.

Soi smirked, despite the impending danger they were, and said, "None of mine."

Kitta jumped down from the trees and stood in front of Kouki. She eyed him up and down before smirking. "We know that one of you are carrying the scroll. Give it to us and we'll let you walk away."

"Kitta," another shinobi said as he and the third shinobi jumped down from the trees and stood by her side. "We can't let them go. They're the enemy."

"If we make too much noise, there is a chance someone from the village could hear. We're in their territory and we have to do this right."

Something in the woman's words fuelled their fighter's spirits. Her demeaning tone made them won't to show her just how strong they really were.

"I count six," Ichirou said casually as his pale eyes roamed over their opponents. He scratched the back of his head, messing up short blond hair.

"Oh look, he can count," Kouki said as he cracked his knuckles, his voice dripping with sarcasm and excitement.

Soi smirked at her friends, happy to know that they were as eager for a fight as she was. "Now, now boys," she teased as she glanced over her shoulders at her teammates. "You can argue later."

One of the enemy jounin took a few steps towards them, not amused with their banter. "We're willing to not start a fight if you come with us willingly." He spoke each words a clearly as possible, hoping to that the genin before him would understand what they were being offered.

Kouki smirked, not really caring what the man had to say. "Where's the fun in that?" Kouki turned to look Soi, his bright violet eyes held flickers of mischief in them. "Can we have fun now?"

In return, she gave him a playful and equally mischievous smile. "Have at it, boys."

As soon as the words left her lips Ichirou's body went limp and fell to the ground. He used his Mind Body Switch Jutsu and possessed an enemy's body. Kouki instantly appeared before Ichirou and gently placed the lifeless body on the ground while Soi charged the jounin. She could feel Kouki's eyes on her as she zig-zagged between the enemy. One of them grabbed her forearm as she moved to punch him. His screams echo into the air as he cried out in pain. She watched him for a few moments as he fell to the ground, holding his arm in pain.

"What did she do," on of the other jounin asked. Before any of them could react to what she had done, she bent down to her fallen enemy and put her hands on both of his legs. She used just enough of her jutsu to damage his leg muscles so he could get up, causing him to scream in pain again.

Two more enemies began to charge for, but she jumped out of the way before they could get to her. However, as the two went to grab her, she didn't notice the man behind her. She let out a loud scream as she felt several kunai stab her in the back.

The two jounin that charged her, grabbed her by the arms. "I got her," one of them said as he took hold of her other arm. The second shinobi nodded and charged for Kouki and the lifeless body at his side. "What did you do to my friend," the man growled in her ear. Soi stifled another scream as the man tightened his hold on her arms. He pushed her face first into the ground and leaned on her, putting almost all of his weight on her. "Tell me." He moved a hand to be able to hold her arms with one hand and gripped on of the kunai in her back with another. He wiggled it just enough to send a shock of pain through Soi's system, earning him a cry.

Seconds later a large pool of blood formed around her as the weight on her back vanished. Not realizing what had happened, Soi slowly pushed herself up. Her back hurt so much that all she wanted to do was cry, but she couldn't. She had a job to do and she made sure to fight through the pain.

Soi's dark eyes glanced around the battlefield slowly, but was struck her as odd was that everyone had stopped fighting and all eyes were on her. She looked down and realized that her entire body was covered in blood. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder to see what had happened to the man who grabbed her. Her eyes grew wide when she a dismembered body laying several feet behind her in a pool of blood. One hand was missing completely, his legs tossed in different directions, and his ribs sticking out of his chest.

While everyone was distracted, Kouki quickly unsheathed a kunai and threw it at an enemy. Before the jounin could act the blade dug into his throat. The man grabbed onto the blade, blood covering his hands, before pulling it out. He gasped for breath for a few moments before his body went limp. Seconds later, Ichirou's eyes fluttered open and he quickly stood up. "Kouki, I was possessing that one," he wined.

"Sorry," Kouki mutter before he and Ichirou darted over to Soi's side. He knelt down next to Soi and slowly helped her stand up. His eyes were filled with a mixture of sorrow and anger as he looked at the sharp objects in her back. "Are you ok."

"No," she muttered bluntly as she glared at the remaining Iwa shinobi. They continued to stare at her, completely dumbfounded at what she had done. "I'm pissed." She had never felt so useless in her life. She made a rookie mistake and let her guard down and because of that, she was wounded.

The Iwa shinobi who had the broken legs yelled at his fellow ninjas. "Don't let her touch you. She ca-" Before he could finish Kouki took out another kunai and repeated the same action he used moments ago on Ichirou's possessed body. The man choked on his own blood, none of his teammate tried to help him.

"Three left," Kouki said softly as he looked back at the wounded Soi. "Let Ichirou and I take care of them and we'll go."

Soi brought a shaky hand to her head and rubbed her temple. "Hurry up. I don't feel good." The world around her began to blur and sounds became distant. She didn't see Ichirou's body go limp for the second time as he possess another enemy or that one of the Iwa shinobi used his Earth jutsu to hurl large boulders at Kouki. As Ichirou fought with Kitta, Kouki used his ability to repel the boulders. She heard the boulders smash into tiny pieces and several grunts and groans before her world went black.

Ichirou caught sight of Soi passing out and panicked. He took out a kunai and stabbed his possessed body in the heart before returning to his own body. When her mind returned to his body, he held Soi lightly in his arms. "Soi," he whispered in a panicked tone. "Soi, wake up. You can't sleep yet." He looked at the blades in her back and then back to her face. The color was quickly draining and he didn't know what to do.

Kitta was standing above them, glaring down at them with all the hatred she could muster. She had several cuts and bruses, but she paid no attention to her pain. "You little brats are dead." Her fingers started to form the symbols for a fire jutsu, but Ichirou made no motion to move. He was too afraid to pick up Soi and move, out of fear of hurting her more, but he wasn't about to leave her. As Kitta brought a hand to her mouth to blow fire on their faces, two hands appeared on either side of her head. A loud crack sound make Ichirou flinch momentarily before Kitta's body fell to the ground.

Ichirou looked up to see Kouki standing behind fallen Kitta, look more pissed than the young blond had ever seen him. His light eyes looked passed his friend and saw the other Iwa shinobi gasping for air under a boulder.

"Let's get her home," Kouki said as bent down and took Soi from his friend. She groaned in protest, but he shushed her. "Don't worry. We're going home now," he whispered. As he looked down at his wounded friend, his heart began to break. "Ichirou, run ahead and get help."

Ichirou nodded and shot up from his place on the ground and ran for the village. Kouki took one final look around the area before walking in the same direction. He didn't dare run with Soi so badly wounded. What he failed to realize was a figure watching him from the trees. There had been a seventh Iwa shinobi who didn't make himself known. The figure glared at the young man before running off in the direction of his home.

/\/\

Several days after the battle, Soi awoke to Chiasa and her grandmother talking about what they were going to eat for dinner that night. The bright light of the room made her close her eyes and grown. "You guys talk too loud," she muttered as she turned her head to the side.

"Oh, Soi sweetie," Bunko half yelled as she and Chiasa bolted out of their seats. "I'll go get a nurse."

"Wait," but her ple wasn't heard as her grandmother rushed out of the room. Realization dawned on her that she was laying on her stomach in a most uncomfortable way. "Why am I laying this way," she asked as she tried to push herself up, but Chiasa put a hand her shoulder and lightly pushed her back down.

"You were wounded pretty badly when your friends brought you home."

"How bad?"

"Bad enough that you'll be off duty for two weeks." Soi groaned into her pillow before sitting up straight, ignoring Chiasa's constant protests. "Your dad's going to be pissed that you're sitting up."

"Like I care. He's in Iwa. How is he going to find out?" A few moments later, Bunko, a nurse, and Adatta came back into the room. Chiasa grinned from ear to ear at Soi's blatant confusion. "Dad?"

Adatta walked over to his daughter's bedside and stared down at her. "Why are you sitting up?"

"Um…because I can?" She didn't intend for her statement to come out like a question, but she was so stunned to see her father that she couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. "Why are you here?"

Adatta rolled his eyes before opening the back of her hospital night gown and inspected her back. He "Because I've never missed your birthday and this year is no exception." Soi's brows knitted together as she did the math. Before she left for the mission, she had five days until her birthday. She had gotten so pumped for her the mission that she completely forgot about her birthday. "How are you feeling?"

"My back is sore, but nothing too bad."

The wonders of medical ninjutsu truly astounded him sometimes. She had a few tiny scars left over from the kunai and no muscle damage. Adatta pressed on certain areas on Soi's back and asked how bad the pain was. There were a few sensitive parts, but nothing painkillers couldn't kill. He had been in Konoha for a week and when he heard that his daughter had been injured, he ran to the Hokage and asked to be her primary doctor. Not that he didn't trust any of the qualified doctors in the village, but he wanted to make sure she was taken care of properly. "You'll be off duty for two weeks. No training, no exercise, nothing. Just rest."

Soi opened her mouth to protest, but the looks she got from her family members made her close her mouth. Adatta wrote some notes on her medical chart before handing it to the nurse and asking her to get some discharge papers. When she left, Adatta sat next to Soi on the bed and pushed some strands of her messy hair out of her face. "What's the last thing your remember?"

"I remember six Iwa shinobi who…uh," Soi looked over at Bunko and Chiasa. She knew that she wasn't allowed to say anything in front of civilians as well as he did. "Kouki was holding me. That's all I remember."

"That's good enough," he said before he went to the small closet at the far end of the room. He took out a black duffle bag and set it on her bag. "Get dressed. In a few days I'll take you to the Hokage to give your report."

Soi nodded before opening the bag and pulled out a set of clean cloths. Adatta excused himself from the room while Chiasa and Bunko helped her get dressed. It took them a good ten minutes for her to get properly dressed and ready to leave.

Half an hour later Soi and the others were out of the hospital and on their way home. The walk was slow so Soi wouldn't have to strain herself, which was ok with her. Her back was killing her and she couldn't wait to take some pain pills when she got home.

When they got home, everyone was thrilled to see the young girl up and about. A few of them were concerned, wondering if she should be walking around so soon after waking up, but Adatta saw no problem with it. He would remain at her side and Jiro was staying home to help look after her. If anything went wrong, one of them would jump at the chance to help her.

Adatta and Bunko helped Soi sit on the couch in the living room while Chiasa went to get a cold compress from her back. Tashina sat on the couch next to her, chatting away about the things she had done while her older cousin was away. Soi started to feel uneasy with all of her family members hovering around her. "You guys don't have to be hanging around me like this. It's kinda creepy."

"What's kinda creepy is almost having to share your birthday with your brother," Gina said as she walked into the living room with a little bundle in her arms. Soi looked up at her and smiled. Her arms stretched out to take her little brother, but she quickly drew her arms back in pain.

Several members of her family looked at her with pity and pain in their eyes. They hated seeing her injured and hated it even more that they couldn't do anything about it. "Here," Bunko said as she took some decorative couch pillows and tucked them behind her back and under her arms. She took her grandson from her daughter and handed him to Soi. Soi rested her arms on the pillows in order to support the baby.

"I'll get the camera," Chiasa said before disappearing from sight.

All the pain Soi felt seemed to recede as she looked into the eyes of her little brother. "Hello, little man," she cooed. He blinked at her a few times before making a humming sound and waving his hands in the air. "What's this I hear about you trying to share my birthday with me?"

Gina picked up Tashina and sat the little girl on her lap so she could sit next to her daughter. "I had the doctor induce labor. One kid born on August 6th is more than enough. I figured each of you deserved your own day."

"He's so cute."

"Just like his sister," Gina said as she leaned over and kissed her daughter's cheek.


	15. Happy Birthday Soi

AN: If you haven't read Coming Home yet, this chapter might be a little confusing for a bit. Just go with it or read the first story.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 12 – Happy Birthday Soi

Three days after Soi's release from the hospital, the Catsuko's celebrated Soi's birthday. There were balloons, streamers, and tons of home cooking courtesy of Umeko. Most of Soi's gifts were shinobi related, a weapon of some sort, books, different kinds of tea, and some money. Adatta was saving his gift for when she was able to move better, which drove her insane with anticipation.

To her surprise, all of her friends had come to spend the day with her. As happy as she was to see them, the odds of all of them having off at the same time was slim to none. The only person who didn't make an appearance was Tsunade. Adatta and Jiraiya said that she was sick, again, and couldn't make it to the party. Soi's suspicion about her sensei constantly being sick were further confirmed and worried her.

"How are you feeling, Destroyer," Anko asked as she flopped down on a lounged chair next to her best friend. Everyone was either sitting or standing in the large backyard while eating Umeko's terrific food. Manabu was asleep in his sister's arms. In just a few days, Soi had grown extremely attached to her little brother. She loved holding him and often offered to feed him or put him to sleep. However, whenever it came time to change his diaper, she was nowhere to be found.

"Better, I think. I'm not sure how much of it is actual healing or painkillers."

"When do you get put back on duty?"

"Dad says two weeks, but I'm sure if mom has her way, it will be never."

While Soi and Anko chatted away about nothing in particular, Kakashi, Genma, and Iruka watched them from the other side of the yard. Genma and Iruka noticed the intensity in which Kakashi watched her as Kouki and Ichirou made their way over to the girls.

Genma nudged Kakashi in the shoulder, successfully snapping his friend out of his trance. "When are you going to admit that you like her?" Kakashi's eyes darted to Genma's, his friend chuckling at Kakashi's deadly stare. Genma and Azuma had been picking at him for months about him having some romantic feelings for the curly haired girl and the accusations were quickly become annoying. "You and I both know that your feelings for her have gone farther than simply protecting her from Kouki."

"There's nothing to admit to because I don't like her like that," he said firmly as Iruka started to laugh as well. "I just don't like her being with…him."

"That's not your only problem. She's all you ever talk about. You constantly worry about her health, if her control has gotten better, if-"

"Enough."

"Look, all I'm saying is, speak up or move aside. She's hot, intelligent, and obviously a fantastic kunoichi. If you don't want her, I'll gladly take her off your hands."

"Genma has a point," Iruka added. "Ever since she came around, you've been acting different. You're more…open."

Kakashi rolled his eyes before storming over to Guy, Azuma, and Kurenai at the opposite end of the yard, none the wiser that Soi's eyes were following him. Kouki watched Soi carefully as she looked at her silver haired friend. Simply knowing that she was watching and mostly likely thinking about the other boy lit a torch under his skin. The young man couldn't count how many times he had fantasized about making Kakashi disappear. While Soi was in the hospital, Kakashi and Kouki were at her bedside every day. They didn't speak or look at each other, it wasn't needed. They both knew that they didn't like each other, but were unwilling to do anything about it while Soi laid unmoving before them.

Throughout the party, Jiraiya kept a close on his young, injured friend. She was good at hiding her pain, a trait he believed all shinobi should posses, but could tell that her back was still hurting her. Once they had returned from their mission, the Toad Sage went straight to her bedside after have a less than pleasant conversation with this former sensei. After being informed that her injuries weren't severe, his next stop was to see Tsunade. When the blond kunoichi learned what had happened to her student, her furniture took the brunt of her rage.

_Flashback:  
"This is exactly why I didn't want to come back," Tsunade yelled in anger as she tossed a wooden dining chair at the wall opposite of her. "I'm sick of death. I'm sick of people who are closest to me dying."_

"_She's not dead, Tsunade," Jiraiya spoke calmly as he slowly took a few steps closer to her._

_Tsunade kicked an unsuspecting chair before turning to destroy a third. Before she could hit it, Jiraiya grabbed onto her wrist to keep her in place. He knew all too well that she could easily toss him aside if she wanted, but he was hoping that she wouldn't. She gave him a warning look, telling him to back off, but he didn't move. After a few moments of a stare off, she let out a long breath before stepping away from him. "But she could have died and I…even if I had gone in your place, I wouldn't have been able to do anything for her. I…I'm not suitable to be her teacher."_

"_You're a great teacher. The only reason they were able to survive an attack like that is because of you." Tsunade rolled her eyes before heading to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of Sake, and taking a large swig straight from the bottle. "I know how you feel about her, Tsunade. It's as clear as day. She's the second coming of Adatta, but better." Jiraiya studied her body language carefully as he spoke. She had her back resting against the wooden kitchen counter top, the bottle of Sake in one hand, and her light brown eyes transfixed on the floor. He could tell that she was upset and didn't want to hear what he had to say, but he was going to say it anyway. "I know how much you love her and I know she loves you just as much. If you told her why you choose not to go on certain missions, she'd understand."_

"_But she shouldn't have to. She…they deserve a teacher who is always going to be there for them. Someone who can actually stomach the brutality of the shinobi world and not flinch at the sight of blood."_

_There had been a heavy weigh in Jiraiya's gut ever since he told Tsunade about Soi's injuries, but that weight became heavier the more her watched his friend. "When are you going to go see her?"_

"_I don't know if I can."  
End Flashback  
_

It didn't surprise Jiraiya that Tsunade hadn't come to the party. Adatta went to see her, but even he couldn't get her out of her apartment. They worried about her like it was the end of days, but they knew not to push her too far. Instead, they waited patiently for her to make the first move.

All of the guests were sure to give their goodbyes as the party came to an end. Anko and Kurenai had made arrangements to spend the night, which Soi was more than happy about. She extended the offer to Kakashi and the others, but for one reason or another, they turned down the offer.

Mom, what do you want us to do," Soi asked from her seat. Gina, Chiasa, Jiro, and a few of the others were getting to work with cleaning up the backyard. Soi, Anko, and Kurenai were sitting on lawn chairs; await orders to help clean up.

"You're not doing anything with your back the way it is," Gina said with a stern look. "Go inside and rest. Watch TV or something."

"But-" Soi was cut off by another heated look. She knew that look meant she was not allowed to argue, so she didn't. Instead, she handed Manabu to Kurenai so Anko could help her stand up. Her body was still stiff and she couldn't move as well as she would like, but her movements were better than they were the day before.

The three girls made their way to Soi's room after making a pit stop to Manabu's. Kurenai placed the sleeping baby in his crib before silently backing out of the room. "He's cute," she said as the three girls simultaneously flopped on Soi's bed.

"He's well behaved for a baby," Soi noted.

Anko rolled onto her stomach and smirked at her friend. "Speaking of good behavior. How is Kouki?"

Soi gave her a baffled look while Kurenai gave her a warning glare. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just wondering what he's been up to. He must've been crushed after what happened to you." The mischievous tone in her voice grew as each word passed her lips. Kurenai rolled her eyes and took a deep breath to stead her nerves.

"He's good, I guess. Why?"

"No reason," Anko and Kurenai said in unison, except Anko was playful and Kurenai was dismissive.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"Onto a more pressing matter." Anko sat up on her knees to get a better look at Soi. "What's going on between you and Kakashi? Did you spill the beans yet?"

Kurenai burst out into a fit of laughter while Soi's confusion grew. "W-what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, we all know there's something there. He's been different ever since you started hanging out with us and all either of you talk about is each other."

"That's not true!"

Anko rolled her eyes and flicked Soi in the forehead. "Example 1. When you came back from your first mission, all either of you talked about is what you two did."

"We were on duty together!"

"And what you guys did off duty. Example 2, Kakashi visited you every day while you were in the hospital and only left when visiting hours were over." This information took Soi back. She knew Kouki had come to visit her, but had no idea Kakashi did the same. "Example 3, he's been much more lively since you came around. Whatever you're doing to him, keep it up." Soi remained silent as she absorbed what her friend was saying. "On another note, what's this I hear about you trying to Kakashi to hook up with Rin?"

Kurenai rolled on her side and propped her head up on her hand, her elbow digging into the soft cushion of the bed as she fixed her eyes on Soi. "I want to know as well."

Soi looked between them. They both had amused smirks on their faces as they waited for an answer. "How do you guys know about that?"

"Kakashi told us that he's noticed you've been talking to Rin a lot lately and that you've been asking him how he feels about her."

"Have you seen the way he treats her and Obito? He's so mean and distant to them. He needs a good kick in the ass and realize he can't treat them like that."

Anko smirked as she took a strand of Soi's curly hair and twirled it around her finger. "I think you're looking at this the wrong way. What was your first impression of Kakashi before you became friends."

"Oh, that's simple. I thought he was a jerk."

"What about now?"

"I love him. He's still a stick in the mud, but he's better." The second the first three words flew out of her mouth, Anko and Kurenai's eyes grew wide and their jaws almost dropped. "What?"

"You said you loved him."

A slight tint rose in Soi's cheeks as she thought about what she had said. "I love him as a good friend," but her defense went unheard as her friends began to laugh hysterically. "Anyway, even if I did like him like that, it wouldn't matter. I promised Rin that I would help her snag him and I'm going to. She's better for him anyway."

Anko lightly pulled on the strand of hair she was still holding onto, forcing Soi to look at her head on. "Are you really this blind or are you faking it?"

"Faking what!? Kakashi and I are just friends."

"You have done more for Kakashi in the first few weeks that you knew him than Rin has in the few months she has been teamed up with him. Did you ever stop to think that just because she has feelings for him doesn't mean that she isn't the right one for him?"

Soi remained silent as she thought about it. She never assumed that there could be anyone good enough for Kakashi besides Rin, especially not herself. But why would she? She had convinced herself long ago that she would never get into a relationship while she was a shinobi, especially with another ninja. More importantly, with Kakashi. However, she couldn't deny the warm feeling she got whenever she thought about him. She assumed she only felt that way because they were such good friend, but what Anko and Kurenai were saying started to make her rethink her logic.

/\/\

Kakashi's POV  
"You seem upset, my friend. What's bothering you," Guy asked as he emerged from my bathroom and took a seat at my small kitchen table. I was just finishing making some tea when he decided to show up unannounced. It's not that I cared, he did it all the time, but I was looking forward to going to bed early. I sat a cup of tea in front of him before taking a seat on the other side of the table.

"Nothing of any importance."

"There's no point in lying. I can read you like an open book." I thought about lying to him, but I was too tired to think of anything convince. Instead, I told him about what had happened at the party. Genma and Iruka really need to stop talking as if they know how I feel about her. Today wasn't the first time they had brought up the ridiculous notion that I had feelings for Soi and it was really started to get on my nerves. She's nothing more than a good friend and it's only natural that I look out for her. "I can understand where they are coming from. It's obvious that you two were meant for each other."

"Come on, Guy. Not you too."

Guy smiled brightly before taking a sip of his drink. "There is no denying the natural connection you two share. You two complement each other in every way."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Why was everyone doing this to me? Were they doing it to her? "What makes you think that we'd be good for each other? What evidence is there that would even hint that we would work as a couple?"

"She has changed you, my friend, and for the better. You're not so uptight anymore. You're embracing your youth to the fullest!"

"That's it? That's all you've got?"

"It's obvious, Kakashi. You might not see it, but you're different. You're just…better."

"Thanks for that," I said sarcastically. "You've cleared it all up."

"I'm happy to help," he said with his Good Guy grin.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
It has been a week since I was released from the hospital and dad finally said he'd give me his birthday present. The only problem was that we had to go to Iwa to get it.

"I don't think Iwa is the best place for her right now," mom said while I started back. Mom, dad, and I were in my room. I was all for going to Iwa even though I knew I probably shouldn't be going. After what happened, I'm sure the Tsuchikageis not happy with me. But my curiosity was too much to fight. I had to know what he got me, I had to.

"Soi had duel citizenship in Iwa. She'll be fine."

"That's not what I mean, Adatta. She is a Konoha kunoichi and she killed Iwa shinobi. It's not secret that Iwa and Konoha are not in good standing and being a shinobi, Soi is in the middle of it. After killing several Iwa shinobi, it's clear which side she's on."

"The law state that anyone who had duel citizenship, shinobi or not, are allowed to come and go between the villages freely. As long as she goes as a civilian and not a shinobi, the Tsuchikage has no grounds to do anything to her. If she keeps hear head down and doesn't do anything stupid, she'll be safe with me."

"But it's not just the Tsuchikage I'm worried about. The shinobi she killed have friends and family. What if one of them decides to try and hurt her. I know you're strong, but you can't protect her from all the shinobi and Iwa."

They argued in circles as I finished packing. I understood where mom was coming from, but I also understood dad's side of the argument as well. We all knew that I wasn't going to do anything dangerous in Iwa, but there's no telling what could happen to me while I was there. I was already disliked within some of the more powerful shinobi in the village and they wanted me dead already. I'm sure I added fuel to the fire by killing those people.

I slung my bookbag over my shoulder, trying very hard to keep from groaning at the pain. "I'll be ok, mom," I said in my sweet tone that always won her over. "I always am."

"This is different, Soi. I might not be a shinobi or know the ins and outs of politics, but this isn't a good situation for you." She sat on the bed next to me and took my hand in hers. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. You're my baby and I want you to stay safe."

I hated it when she dos that. It's not a guilt trip, cut it's close. I sat next to her and spoke as clear and calmly as I could. "Mom, even if I wasn't going to Iwa, I'll always be in danger. I willingly put myself in harms way just by being a shinobi. You can't protect me from everything, especially other shinobi." I could tell my words hurt her, knowing that she can't protect me from all the cruelties of the world, but the soon she realized that, the better. The way she looked at me almost broke my heart. I didn't want her to be in any pain, but I was going to Iwa whether she wanted me to or not.

"I'll be with her, Gina. She'll be safe."

Mom looked over at him before looking back at me. She stroked my cheek gently before giving me a forced smile. "Have fun and be safe."

It took us a few days to get to Iwa, but it went by in a blur. I had taken this trip so many times to see dad that I could get there in my sleep. I had left my shinobi forehead protector back home. I didn't need to rouse suspicion of who I was. There were several people who knew who I was and I knew I couldn't hide from them, but it was best to keep everyone else in the dark.

The second I stepped through Iwa's Great Gates, I felt like I was being watched. Several shinobi were watching me even though I was hoping that they were really staring at dad.

"Don't worry, sweetie," he said as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. "You're safe."

"I know, dad."

We walked through the streets of Iwa silently. Being here seemed so foreign. I had been here multiple times, but it still seemed like I was an alien. Probably because I was. There were only a few people in this entire village that like me and after what I had done, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if I fell from their good graces.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice where we were headed. Before she knew it, they were walking into her grandmother's flower shop Naomi was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't stop the two of them from walking past the checkout counter and into the back room. After a few twist and turns through the hallway, we came to the break room to find her and another woman eating their lunch at a small table.

"Soi," she shouted once her eyes landed on me. She jumped up from her chair and flung herself at me. Her arms snaked around my neck as she pulled me in for a big hug. "Oh, my little girl, I've missed you. I haven't seen you in forever." With little effort I mirrored her actions and returned the hug. She was one of the few people in the Mouki family who like me. I'm not a hundred percent sure why the others don't like me, but I didn't care. I learned long ago to cherish the people who love me and that's exactly what I do.

"I've missed you too, Grandma."

She stepped away from me and gave me a smile. Looking up at her smiling face, I can somewhat understand why people think we look alike. The hair and the eyes for sure, but I can't see past that. Mom and the others insist I could pass as her twin, but who knows. Maybe their crazy or perhaps I'm blind.

"Oh, this is Yuna," she said as she gestured to the woman behind her. I looked over Grandma's shoulder to see a woman in her late twenties with short blond hair and green eyes. I gave her a smile and extended my hand to her, but she looked at it as if was covered with slugs. I let my hand fall to my side before looking back at Grandma. "So, birthday girl, I have a gift for you." She left the room for a brief moment before returning with a wide smile. In her hand was little green box with a dark purple bow on top. "Here you go."

I smiled up at her before taking the box. I took the bow off and stuck it to my forehead just for the fun of it. Inside the box was a small mesh ouch tied together with a thing purple ribbon and seeds inside. "They're f midnight burgundy Calla Lilies. I remember that you told me once that they're your favorite. They still are, right?"

"Of course," I half shouted as I gave her another hug. I was horrible at gardening, but Chiasa was practically raised in a garden. She'll have these beauties blooming in no time. "I love them. Thank you."

"No problem, darling." I released her and took my place by dad's side. There was a moment of unease as I looked from him to Grandma. I knew that he wasn't on good standing with his family and only brought me around to them because he wants me to have a good relationship with them, but we both knew it wasn't going to happen. Besides Grandma, the only other people in the Mouki clan who like me are my Aunts Satsuki, Fumiko, and Ai. Dad never told me why everyone in our, I mean his, family doesn't like me, but he assured me that it wasn't my fault. Whether is was or not, I've learned not to care. "So, what are you two up to?"

"Yeah, dad. What are we up to?"

He smirked and rolled his eyes playfully before ruffling up my hair, which he knew drove me crazy. "That's a secret."

"Well, we're having dinner tonight at 7pm if you guys would like to join us." It was a kind offer and we all knew that she meant it, but there was no chance of dad and I going to her house. Neither of us wanted to deal Tadashi and his constant bombardment about how I'm not good enough to carry the Mouki name.

"Thanks, but we already have plans."

"Oh, but your sister's would love to see you. You have come to see us in a while."

"I've been busy with work."

"But you have to take a break some time. Come by and see us once in a while. We miss you."

Kami, this was awkward. I felt bad for Grandma, but not too much. If love is blind, she has to be blind and def to stay married to the asshole she calls a husband. I have never once heard him say a kind word in my life. She knew that we didn't get along, so why she tried so hard to make us act like a family was beyond me.

"I will mom, but first I have a gift to give to Soi." He moved forward to give Grandma a brief hug before pulling me towards the door.

"Bye, Grandma," I called over my shoulder with a quick wave goodbye.

"Bye, baby girl. Come visit any time."

It pained me that we were storming out like this, but I knew dad could only take so much of her, of any of them. Grandma is a very kind person, but sometimes her kindness blinds her of what is right in front of her.

As we walked down the hall we heard something that put us both on edge. "That's the girl that killed Kitta, isn't it? She killed my sister," Yuna said in a hushed, but frantic tone. Dad and I exchanged a worried glance and we quickly exited the store. The last thing we needed was Yuna running around the village telling every shinobi that I was in town.

We were both on edge we walked down the street. Whispers and eyes of the people who pass us by. Comments of the Mouki who betrayed her clan were enough to make me almost crack up. Dad was furious at the accusations, but I thought it was funny. I can't betray a clan that I wasn't a part of or a village that I don't serve. I may have citizenship here, but I'm not an Iwa shinobi.

As we walked I notice that we were headed in the direction of a certain someone I hadn't seen in a long time. "Are we heading to Greatgran's house?"

"Yes we are."

I hate being girly, but I couldn't help the little girl squeal I let out as I jumped up and down as we went. Greatgran is Grandma estranged mother. Ever since Grandma married Tadashi, Greatgran had practically disowned her daughter. She didn't like the type of man Tadashi was and refused to have anything to do with him, but that didn't keep her from spending time with my dad and his sisters.

She lived in a small house in the corner of the village. Birds were chirping and flowers were blooming every time I was at her house. She always had a fresh batch of cookies waiting for me and told me stories of when she was a shinobi. It was like being in a fairytale when I was at her house.

When the house came into view I sprinted to the brightly painted house. I didn't care that I should still be on edge, all I wanted to do was hug Greatgran. As I burst through the front door I almost tripped by an old friend. Laying in the middle of the floor was Kai, a slender Abyssinian cat who I use to play hide and seek with when I was younger.

"Hi, Kai," I said as I danced around her as she woke up.

She blinked a few times before jumping up on my shoulder. "Hello, Soi," she purred as she rubbed up against my head. "It's been too long. We've missed."

"I've missed you guys too." I walked farther into the house and the smell of chocolate chip cookies hit me hard. Between Greatgran and Umeko, it was impossible to determine who had the better cooking. They were both to die for.

As I walked through the house I couldn't find Greatgran anywhere, so I headed for the backyard. I saw her slightly plump figure through the sliding glass door and proceeded outside. Laying all around her were four other cats there were much bigger than Kai. Greatgran was sitting on her knees, working in her garden like she often did.

I tried my hardest to sneak up on her, but large Leopard laying by her ruined the surprise. "Look who's finally here," she said as she got up and came to my side. She rubbed up against my leg and purred. I racked my nails over her head, making her purr louder.

"Hi, Saia." Greatgran and the other cats looked up me and smiled. Yuuka, the large lioness, got up from her resting place and went of to help Greatgran stand up. I walked passed the other cats, saying hello as I went, and finally wrapped my hugs around Greatgran. "Hi, Greatgran."

"Hello, Curls." She emphasized my nickname by tugging on a single curl. "Oh, I have missed my Curly girly." I smiled over her shoulder as a I pulled away. Dad instantly took my spot and hugged her. "Oh my, Adatta. Still has handsome as always."

Dad chuckled lightly before pulling away. "Whatever you say, Gran."

Kai jumped down from my shoulders and landed next to Chihiro, the White Tiger. Chihiro and I always use to get into trouble together whenever I cam to visit. She is a devilish and I am and we put the naughty behavior to good use. I knelt down to their level and opened my arms. All of the cats rubbed up against me as I patted and rubbed their backs. Chihiro pushed me over onto my back, forcing the others to move so they wouldn't fall over too, and stood over me. There was a moment in of pain when my back hit the ground, but I quickly forgot about it. Her face was a couple inches from mine, her whiskers tickling my face.

"Why is it that your trips to visit us have grown longer apart? It's been months since we've seen you."

Nana, the Puma, started circling us as if she was about to pounce on her pray. "Chihasa is right. There's no excuse for your lack of attention."

I couldn't help giggle at their antics. I'm sure to anyone else having a tiger and a puma acting as if they were about to eat you would be terrifying, but this felt like home to me. "I'm sorry, guys. After graduating from the academy, I've gotten too busy."

Nana whacked me in the face with her tail as she continued to circle, but stopped to look at Yuuka. "Maybe we shouldn't give her our gift if she has become this forgetful. "

"We can't do that," Yuuka replied as she and Greatgran moved to my side. "We made a promise and we're going to honor it."

Chihiro licked my face before moving off of me. I watched as she ran into the house before looking back at everyone else. I sat up and looked around at the girls, completely confused as to what was going on. "What promise did you guys make?" Dad, Greatgran, and Saia laughed while Yuuka and Kai shook their heads in what seemed to be amused disappointment. "What?"

"Are you really that forgetful," Kai asked. She walked over and sat firmly on my lap, a paw resting on my nose as she looked up at me. "Think really hard. What is something that us cats could give you?"

"Umm….a dead mouse?"

Kai lifted her paw and smacked my nose. "No, think harder."

As I thought about what it could be Chihiro emerged from he house with a small scroll tucked protectively between her teeth. She placed the scroll in my hand and backed away. I brought the scroll closer to my face and examined it. The decorative orange paper had red and gold engravings of cats on it. The thin dark red rope that tied it together had beads dangling off the end of it that were shaped like catheads.

Greatgran walked over to me, Yuuka at her side every step of the way, and placed a shakey hand on my shoulder. I looked at her hand curiously before looking up at her. She was smiling down at me and motioned for me to give her the scroll. I handed it to her and watched as she slowly unrolled it. "When you were four you begged me to let the girls become your summons. Do you remember what I said?"

"You said it was up to them and that they had to agree to become my summons on their own free will."

"That's right." She handed the scroll back to me and I read the contents. There was a long paragraph introducing the nine cats that could be summoned with this scroll and that, if they found a suitable summoner, would remain loyal to whoever writes their name in the scroll. I opened it up a little farther to see two names. One was Greatgrans and the other was her mother. "We all decided that as a graduation gift, the girls would become your summons." I looked up from the scroll and stared wide eyed at her before looking at all the cats, each of them had a knowing and joyous smile on their face. "We are all very proud of you and know that you're going to become a great kunoichi one day."

She reached into her pocket and took out a tiny box and handed it to me. "What do I do with this," I asked as I opened it and looked at what was inside. Inside was thick needle and wipes. "

All you have to do is prick your thumb and leave a imprint," she said as she touched a spot on the scroll. "Then take the need and write you name as best you can next to the imprint."

"In blood?"

"Yes."

I looked up at the girls and they kept smiling back at me. "Are you guys sure you want me to sign this?" My replies was all of them disappearing into white puffs of smoke. I looked over at dad, who smiled proudly down at me, then back to Greatgran. She nodded her head before taking a few steps back.

After taking a deep breath I looked back down at the scroll. I took the needle out of the box and pricked my finger. My thumb pressed hard against that paper before I drew more blood from my finger to write my name.

"Now, watched what I do and then do it yourself." I looked up at Greatgran and watched her carefully as she made very precise hand signs. "Then place your hand on the ground, the one you signed the scroll with. While you're making the hand signals, make sure to use chakra. That will determine how strong the girls will be and which ones will come out. If you use a lot, all of them will appear."

I nodded my head and did as I was told. My hands flew as fast as they could before I slammed my hand down on the ground. A black design spilled out from under my palm and a giant puff of white smoke appeared. At the smoke cleared, five cats of all shapes and sizes stood before me. I smiled at them as they all ran over and started rubbing up against me.

Greatgran and dad started laughing at our open display of affection. "How did you summon all five of them at once? That's practically unheard of for a first timer."

"I figured that if I used a lot of chakra, then I could summon all of them at once." Dad and Greatgran continued to laugh. "What's so amusing?"

"Give it a minute," dad said before walking over to me. I sat there for a couple seconds, not understand what he was talking about. Then, all of a sudden, I felt light headed and dissy. I tried as hard as I could to focus on the world around me, but the world seemed to disappear in a sea of black fog.

Several hours later I awoke in the spare bedroom I stayed at when I came to visit Greatgran. Apparently, I had used too much chakra when I had summoned the girls. The lack of chakra made me black out and dad had to take me to bed.

My head was throbbing from a killer headache, a side effect of chakra depletion, as I walked into the living room. It had gotten dark and dad and Greatgran were sitting at the dinning table eating some of Greatgran's famous soup. "Look whose finally up. Would you like some soup, Curly Girly?"

"Sure." I was still a little groggy and I had to try really hard not to be snippy towards her, so I stuck to one-word answers. She set a bowl of soup in front of me and I slowly started to eat it.

"So, why are you dressed like a hooch? Young ladies shouldn't be running around with their goods hanging out." Dad started cracking up as soup almost came out my nose while I choked on my food at Greatgran's bluntness. The way she said it was if she was asking a stranger what time it was. "Since when do you run around like that?"

After successfully gaining control of my breathing, I told her about all the new things in my life. She was thrilled to hear about my new friends and that people finally started accepting for who I was. Had I been raised in Iwa, I would never have had this problem because everyone knows about the Mouki's and their destructive gift. Then I told her about Tsunade and her training, which she didn't find to amusing. She was happy the my control had gotten better, but was less than enthused that I was running around in such little clothing. But what upset her the most was what happened with the last mission. She almost cried when I told her I got hurt.

"What about boys? Has anyone caught your eye yet? "

"Kami, no. I don't have time to think about boys."

"Too bad. The Kouki boy you were talking about sounds like a good catch."

I'm sure my face turned bright red when she said that. "That's….nasty! He's my teammate. He's like my brother."

"What about Kakashi?"

Now it was my turn to crack up. "Kakashi? Really? That's just…no. Not a chance. Not now, not ever."

Greatgran eyed me skeptically as she took a sip of her soup. "Hmm, I'm not so sure. You're protesting more about him than the other boy."

"That's because Kakashi is…Kakashi."

I noticed the wicked grin she gave dad and I realized who I must have gotten mine from. "Good luck, Adatta. It sounds like this young man is going to be your future son-in-law."

I groan in frustration before taking another sip of my soup. Greatgran laughed hysterically while dad grumbled something about how no boy in their right mind would dare date me or they would have to deal with him. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and forget this whole conversation, but I knew she was far from finished embarrassing me.


	16. Left Behind

AN: For those of you who haven't read Coming Home, there are two characters in this chapter who may confuse you. I recommend reading Coming Home before continuing, but it wont ruin anything if you don't. Also, for anyone who wants to see what Soi and her team looks like, go {DOT}com/#/d53qgt9 A wonderful fan did some fantastic fanart for this fic and I have to continue giving her props.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 13 – Left Behind

Iwagakure During Chapter 11  
The Tsuchikage and Mouki Ai, a young woman who's looks resembled Naomi, her mother, as much as Soi did, were filing paperwork in the Kage's office when another Mouki came barging into the office. The two shinobi turned to see a tall tan man with short, dark red hair and orange eyes, who looked worn out. "Dingin," the Tsuchikage said as he sat a stack of papers on his desk. "Where are the others?"

The young man, who was obviously exhausted from his travels, took several deep breaths before answering. "They're dead, sir. A Konoha genin team killed them."

Both Ai and the Tsuchikage looked at the young man in disbelief. "That's impossible. No genin team has ever done such a think. What really happened?"

"A Mouki happened." That was enough to grab both their attention. As Dingin explained what he had witnessed the Tsuchikage and, especially, Ai hung onto his every word like a prayer.

"It's good that you stayed hidden," the Iwa leader said as he sat in his large chair behind his desk. "Now we know how trained they are. Konoha is getting desperate in these times of war. They're amping their game and sending children to do the work of jonin."

Ai and Dingin eyed each other before looking at the village leader. "War, sir?"

"There have been hints of another Shinobi War. If Konoha's genin teams are able to take out two of my best squads, then we need to work harder." The Tsuchikage looked over at Ai, an annoyed sigh escaping him. "Ai, send word to all the shinobi in the village. Training is going to be intensified, effective immediately."

"What about the girl?"

"Adatta is bringing her here this weekend. Although she is a Konoha shinobi, she is also a member of this village. Until war is officially declared, no one in this village is to touch her. The two of you are dismissed."

The two Iwa shinobi left the room as quickly as possible. There were several other shinobi outside of the Tsuchikage's office who were returning from their individual missions. Both Ai and Dingin knew that they overheard what had just gone on in the Tsuchikage's office and that word would quickly spread throughout the village.

Over the years of being the Tsuchikage's personal assistant, Ai has heard many stories, but the one her cousin had just told her was terribly unpleasant. Soi was her niece and she loved the young girl, but now things were different. Soi was going to have to pick which side she was going to be on and fast.

When they were out of earshot of the other shinobi, Dingin took his cousin's hand in his and lightly squeezed it. "Everything is going to be ok."

Ai gave him a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Ever since they were children, it was as if he could read her mind and tell when she was depressed. "No, it won't. Dingin, once father catches wind of what happened, he'll jump at the chance to get rid of her. He's never liked her."

Dingin stopped dead in his tracks, making Ai stop too. He pulled on her hand, forcing her to step closer to him. He leaned in close and whispered, "then I suggest you let Adatta know what's going on before things become too complicated." And with that, Dingin released her and proceeded down the hall. Ai stood frozen in the hallway for a moment before running to the roof. She ran to the large coup of carrier pigeons, scribbled a quick warning note on a small pad of paper next to the cage before attaching it to a bird and sending it on its way. As she watched the bird ascend into the sky, she prayed that the not wouldn't be intercepted and that it would reach her brother in time.

Several days later, Ai received a letter with only two words written on it.  
**Thank you.**

/\/\

Kouki's POV – During Chapter 12  
Konoha seems like a different place when she isn't here. I'm happy that she's spending time with her dad, I know how much she misses him, but she needs to hurry up and come back. Without her, I feel empty. I dread getting out of bed in the morning.

"Kouki," my mother said from the other side of the door as she knocked on it. I was sitting in my bed, looking out the window when she came slowly came in. I didn't turn to look at her, but I was positive that she was looking down at the floor, her shoulders slightly hunched, as she always did. That was one of the many things that drove me crazy about her. She was so weak, so timid, nothing like Soi at all. "Kouki, I thought you had training today. It's almost noon. You're late."

When I finally looked at her, her body stiffened up immediately. The fresh bruise from our argument the previous night was hidden under her dark blue long-sleeve shirt. "Tsunade-sensei is sick, Soi is in Iwa, and Ichirou has family issues to deal with. I'm free today."

"Oh," and once again, her eyes were glued to the floor. "I'm sorry I couldn't go to her party. I figured that is was something that she would want her friends at, not someone like me."

"You're right." I stood up from my place on the bed and brushed passed her, heading for the front door. "You would've ruined it."

The sky above was a dark grey and a cold wind blew through the street. I could almost smell the rain and it made me think of Soi, not that she ever left my mind to begin with.

As I walked down the street, going nowhere in particular, I wonder what she was doing in Iwa. When she told me that her dad was taking her there for her birthday it took everything in my power not to kill her father. Literally, I wanted him dead. Didn't he know what had happened to his daughter just days ago? She killed Iwa shinobi and now he was taking her straight into the lion's den. I know that she has family there, but from what she has told me about them, she couldn't care less if she saw them or not. Whatever he had planned for her isn't worth her safety.

"Did you here about the genin team that took out the two Iwa squads?" The unknown voice instantly caught my attention as I searched for its owner. Down a side ally, two jonin were gossiping about my team. I knew it was my team because no other genin team had ever pulled off what we did. I placed my back up against the wall at the edge of the ally and leaned in to better hear what they were saying. "Supposedly it's Tsunade's team."

"It would have to be a Sanin's team. No other genin team could pull that off."

"Even so, they're lucky to have gotten away. I heard one of them was really badly injured."

"Not as bad as you think. My sister works at the hospital. The girl's wounds weren't that bad, but she's off duty for a while."

Before they could say anymore, I pushed off the wall and started down the street. In some ways, it sickened me that they were talking about us. That fight was the single most terrifying moment of my life. Not because we were outnumbered our up against powerful shinobi, but because of Soi. The moment I heard her scream, my world was flipped upside down. Until I reached her side, I didn't know if how badly she was hurt. There was so much blood and…and I thought that I was going to…lose her. Sitting in that hospital room, day in and day out, not know if or when she would wake up made me sick. Having Kakashi there only made it worse.

But at the same time, as scared as I was, it was also the single most thrilling moment of my life. The adrenalin, the power, everything about that fight fueled a fire in me that up until that moment, only Soi could do. I felt powerful, unstoppable. A huge part of me wanted to do it again, needed to do it again. I need to feel that rush and if we don't another high-ranking mission soon, I'll have to find one myself.

/\/\

Ichirou's POV – During Chapter 12  
Once again, I was being scolded for not being more like my brother. All my father could talk about was Inoichi. Not that I had anything against my brother, I love him like no other, but the last thing I wanted to be was like him. He's too serious for my taste. While he practiced his Mind Disturbance Dance and Mind Reading techniques, I was perfecting my genjutsu. For some reason, being a genjutsu user was frowned upon in my family.

"At the every least, you could practice your Mind Transfer jutsu more. You're a Yamanaka. Letting your kekkei genkai fall to the way-side is a blatant disregard to this family."

I sat before him, nodding my head every so often, pretending that I was paying attention, but I was really wondering what Soi and Kouki were doing. I was really confused when Soi told me that she was going to Iwa. After what happened to use, going to Iwa seemed like the stupidest thing possible, but stopping her was like trying to stop the sun from rising. She would do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Nonetheless, I wish she would hurry up and come home.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
Dad escorted me to the borderof Iwa before allowing me to go on alone. If he had the time to take me all the way home, I'm sure he would've, but his work was calling. As much as I begged, he never told me what it was he was working on. He said it was a surprise and that I'd know about it in time. Not knowing drove me crazy, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

The first place I went to when I got back home was sensei's house. I worried about her being sick the entire time I was in Iwa and I wanted to check in on her. That and boast about the fact that I now have a summons. Just thinking about it brought a smile to my face.

When I reached her apartment and knocked, I got no answer. I knocked a second time and still nothing. There was some shuffling inside, but she didn't open the door. Frustrated, I went to the first window I spotted and opened it. I knew she always kept at least one window unlocked, incase she forgot her key at home, and I found the right. But of course, this wasn't a window into her living room; it was the small window above her kitchen sink.

The darkness inside the apartment didn't help my break in. I knocked over a few plates and glasses as I made my way in, but she never came to inspect the source of the noise. After finally gaining proper footing, I slowly made my way through the dark apartment and found a light switch.

When I finally found the light switch I was torn between being shocked and angry at what I saw. Almost all of sensei's belongs were packed away in boxes that read, **For Donation**, a few empty Sake bottles scattered the floor, and she was laying on the couch with a cold compress on her forehead.

"Turn it off," she groaned and waved a hand at me. I didn't say or do anything for several moments. I was too confused to do anything. "Turn the damn light off."

"What the hell is all of this," I gestured to all the boxes around me even though she wasn't looking at me. Whether it was out of confusion or anger, I don't know, but my voice rose several levels higher. "Are you going somewhere?" My reply was an annoyed groan and another order to turn off the lights. "Sensei!?"

"Turn off the lights and come here." I stared at her for a couple minutes before doing what she asked. I turned off the lights and went to stand by her outstretched body. She lifted her legs off the couch to give me a place to sit before setting them back down on my lap.

"Sensei, what's going on," I asked more calmly. Earlier, I had been so excited to tell her about my summons and the girls, but all my eagerness had vanished at this new arrangement of her apartment.

She remained silent for the longest time. I'm not sure if she was thinking or dozing off, but it quickly became annoying. To get her attention I racked my nails up and down her legs to tickle her. She jerked her legs into my stomach, making me wince, before finally giving me an answer I didn't see coming. "I'm leaving, Soi."

"I got that, but why are you packing your stuff? Missions don't require you to pack up everything and go."

"I mean I'm leaving Konoha and not coming back."

For a moment, I thought she was joking, but than I realized she was using her serious voice. She laid there, motionless, almost asleep, and completely calm. "What," I yelled.

"I said-"

"I know what you fucking said!" I jolted up from my seat, making her legs fall to the ground and her body twisted slightly. The compress fell to the side and she glared up at me with pure annoyance. "How could you…I mean…why are you…what?" I had so many questions and I didn't know what to ask first.

"I'm done being your sensei. I'm done with this life." She sat straight up on the couch and watched me as I started pacing around the room.

"I don't understand. Why are you…are you really leaving?"

"Yes, I have to." She chuckled at something, a joke that I'm sure she would never share with me. "I didn't even want to come here in the first place."

"Then why did you come back?" When she didn't answer, I just about flipped out. "I don't get it. You were fine, we all were. You're out teacher. You watch over us, protect us. You're suppos-"

"But I didn't protect you, now did I," she snapped. "You're a smart girl. I'm sure you've noticed that I've been getting sick every time Team 9 has been assigned missions that could potentially partake in violent conflicts." I didn't say anything; I just nodded my head as I tried to keep calm. All I wanted to do was shout and stomp my feet like a two year old, but I knew better. Plus, I wanted to hear what she had to say. "I can't deal with…it. I just can't."

"Deal with what? Conflict? We're shinobi, sensei. We have to deal with it."

"That's not it." She rubbed the back of her head, racking her fingers through her long blond hair, looking in any direction, except at me. "Had I been on the last mission with you guys…I wouldn't have been able to helpe you. I would've just…stopped."

"I don't understand."

When she finally looked back at me, all I saw was sadness and fear. "I can't be around blood, Soi. I just can't."

"But you're a medical ninja, a Sanin. One of the greatest shinobi in the world. You-"

"I haven't been that Tsunade in years." She bowed her head, her eyes glued to the floor. "I'm not even half the shinobi I use to be and that's fine with me."

I could feel hot tears well up in my eyes as she spoke her last sentence. I was so confused that I was actually crying. "I don't understand." For the next hour or so, she recapped almost everything that had happened to her in her life as a shinobi. Her life during the wars, losing Nawaki and Dan, almost killing Jiraiya for peeping on her, everything. The only stories I knew about her were the legends and what my father told me, but he never told me any of the horrifying things she went through. I could understand why she couldn't be who she use to be, but at the same time I couldn't understand why she would give up fighting. Not just physically, but mentally.

At some point during her story I sank to the floor in front of her. My arms were wrapped around my knees while I tried my hardest to hold back my tears. I felt sorry for her and everyone she had lost. I didn't want her to be in pain and wished desperately that I could take it away, but I knew nothing I could say or do would make her feel better.

"When I heard what happened to you, I broke inside. The thought of losing you the same way I lost Dan and my brother almost crushed me. I wanted to visit you in the hospital, but I couldn't even make it out the front door. Not know if you were going to wake up…I knew I couldn't stay here anymore." She slid off the couch and sat in front of me. She stretched out her long arm and lightly patted my head. "On the bright side, I'm very proud of you. Of all of you. Not many, if any, genin teams could defeat a jonin, let along six of them."

At this point, I didn't bother to hold back my tears any longer, I didn't want to. She was really leaving us, leaving me. I flung myself at her like a child and rested my head in her lap. She stroked my hair as I cried, something my mother and grandmother did on the rare occasions when I was sick or really upset. "W-what are we s-suppose to do without a s-sensei? Wh-what am I suppose to d-do without you?"

"Jiraiya is going to take over until you all become chunin, although with your track record, I'm sure the three of you would be just fine without a jonin to back you." She chuckled at the last bit, which only made me cry a little harder. She was taking this so lightly and it only made me angrier.

"W-when do you l-leave?"

"Tomorrow."

I shot up off her lap and glared at her quicker than I could blink. My anger was quickly rising again, pushing back my sadness. "Tomorrow!? But that's too soon!"

"Not soon enough for me. I've been here long enough."

"But…but I have summons now." Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened at what I hope was surprise. "I need you to help me learn how to summon my cats correctly."

"Wait, wait, wait…you have cat summons?"

"Yeah." For some reason and I don't know why, she started cracking up. Why having cats for summons was so funny was beyond me. "Stop laughing! If you leave, who is going to help me learn? That last time I summoned them, I passed out." I thought back to when Tsunade-sensei first introduced us to Katsuyu. It was a typical day of training and sensei summoned her out of the blue. Ichirou and I thought she was the cutest thing in the world, but Kouki thought she was disgusting. Personally, I would have loved to have her as a summons, but I wouldn't trade the girls for anything.

She laughed a little bit longer before calm down to the occasional chuckle. "Jiraiya will help you with that. Knowing you, you'll catch on quickly."

"This isn't funny! You don't understand what you mean to us."

"I do understand. During a mission in my genin days, I thought there was a time where I lost my sensei. But you have to understand that I'm not a good teacher for you. A leader must be able to take the good with the bad and be able to back up his or her team. I can only be with you for the good and you deserve better than that. This is the most responsible thing I can do for you. You might not like it or understand it, but I have to do this."

Angry and extremely hurt, I turned away from her. We had been together for almost a year, but it felt like only a few short months. She had taught me so much, but I still had so much more to learn. She was like a second mother to me, always attentive, caring, constantly cracking jokes at my faults. In one short year I had grown so accustom to seeing her that I can't even fathom what my life would be like without her.

"Consider this a birthday gift." She took my left hand and shoved a small, folded piece of paper in it. "Don't read it now, do it when you get home."

"I don't want to go home tonight. I want to stay with you."

"Don't be so childish. You're family is probably missing you."

"They can miss me a little bit longer. If this is really it…if you're really leaving, I want to spend you last day here with you."

She stared at me intently as I wiped away the almost dry streaks of tears before chuckling. She walked over to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of Sake. "As a goodbye present to me, I want to be the first person to see you drunk."

"But I'm not old enough to drink."

"You're with me, you'll be fine. What's the worse that could happen?"

/\/\

The next day was much more painful than Soi had thought it would be. From the moment she opened her eyes, she instantly regretted leaving her dream world. Tsunade's apartment was dead quiet; the only sounds were the ones come from the outside world. Soi had called out for her sensei several times, but there was no reply. After a quick search around the small home, Soi slumped against the wall in defeat. Her sensei, her role model, her friend, was gone. All that remained were her lessons and a large hole in the young girls heart. Tsunade had gone to a place that Soi couldn't follow, which made the situation even worse. Even if Soi could go after her, she knew she couldn't bring the woman back. She wasn't cut out for the life of a shinobi anymore and the girl wouldn't force her to stay.

Besides the emotional pain, the physical pain from Soi's first hangover was enough to make the girl go mad. Ever sight and sound seemed to be amplified to a level that was unreal. Her head throbbed like no headache she had ever felt before and she could swear she could hear her blood circulating.

But none of this prevented her from doing her duty. Somehow, and she didn't know how, she stood up and cleared her face of all emotions. She truly hated it when people saw her cry and she was dead determined to let no one else know she was upset. The day she cried in front of her friends for hurting Kakashi was embarrassing enough and she didn't need to cry in front of the entire village or her team.

Soi was the last member of her team to arrive at the training grounds. A frown immediately appeared on her face when she saw Jiraiya chatting away with Kouki and Ichirou. It wasn't that she disliked the man for taking her sensei's place, in fact she couldn't think of anyone better for the job, but Jiraiya was no Tsunade.

"You're late," Kouki said as she silently walked to his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. The kind gesture was enough to almost make her start to cry again, but she kept her tears bottled up. Jiraiya had obviously not told them yet; otherwise her teammates wouldn't look like their typical happy selves.

Jiraiya's trademark grin disappeared the second Soi came into view. He could read her like an open book and pitied the poor girl.

_Flashback:  
In the early mornings of the day, just before the sun was about to rise, Jiraiya arrived at Tsuande's old apartment, ready to escort her to the Great Gate. When he walked in, the sight before him was enough to hold back any comment he had cooking in his brain. Tsunade sat on her couch with a sleeping Soi lying on top of her. Soi's head rested on Tsunade's lap and the blond woman was stroking the girl's hair lightly. She looked at her favorite student with an intense love that Jiraiya had only seen her give to two other people._

"_You don't have to leave, you know? You can still be their trainer. I'll just go on all the missions with them," he said as he moved farther into the room, closer to the girls._

"_I have to go. If I stay and anything happens to them…" Tsunade couldn't bring herself to finish what she had started. Just thinking about all the possible things that could happen to Soi and the others was enough to make it difficult for her to breath. "I need to get out of the place."_

_Jiraiya nodded his head, not bothering to argue further. He and Tsunade had had this argument countless times and the outcome remained the same. She would leave, again, and take part of him and Soi with her._

_Feeling the slightest bit out of place, he looked around the room for something to distract him. Besides the multiple empty Sake bottles, the place looked clean. When he looked back at the two women before him, he noticed the tear streaks down Soi's face and that her face was slightly tinted pink and puffy. "I'm hoping she looks like that because she's been crying all night."_

"_Nope. I told her that as a goodbye gift I wanted to see her drunk."_

"_What was she like?"_

"_Hilarious."  
End Flashback_

Jiraiya had to watch the woman he loved walk out of his life once. Having her do it to him twice nearly broker his heart and knowing that he had to tell her team that she was gone almost sent him over the edge. He knew that Soi already knew the hard truth and hearing it again would crush her. In a way, he resented her for it. This was her team and she should be the one to tell them that she was leaving, not him. "Before we get started, I have some bad news to tell you." He couldn't even hide his disappointment as he spoke.

Kouki and Ichirou both snapped to attention concern and worry written all over their faces. "What's wrong," Ichirou asked nervously. "Are we in trouble about our last mission?"

"No, nothing like that. All of you did really well and I'm proud of you. This is an entirely different matter." Jiraiya looked between the two boys before looking at Soi. Out of the trio, she was the only one looking away. He saw the tears starting to build up in her eyes, the sight of such a strong girl on the brink of tears hurt him like never before. "I don't know how else to say this beside just saying it as it is. Tsunade is gone and she's not coming back." Kouki and Ichirou opened their mouths, ready to bombard Jiraiya with question after question, but he quickly continued before they could interrupt. "She felt that it was better if the three of you were put under my care instead. Trust me when I say that none of you have done anything wrong. This isn't about you. There are some issues that she has to work through and she can't do it here."

The second Jiraiya stopped speaking, Kouki and Ichirou started in on all their questions. They demanded to know where she had gone, why she had left, what her issues were, and a million other things. Jiraiya didn't tell about her hemophobia or where she had gone, which only fueled their confusion and anger.

Jiraiya cut training that day to give his new team time to soak in all that had happened. Kouki had thought that the three of them should stay together, possibly stay at Soi's house like they did when one of them were upset or when they came back from missions, but Soi politely refused. She said that all she wanted to do was sleep, so she quickly darted home. As much as Kouki wanted to run after and comfort her, Ichirou convinced him that Soi needed her space. They both knew that out of the three of them, Soi was Tsunade's favorite. Neither of the boys cared because they also knew that the blond Sanin also cared for them, but Soi was truly everything to her and vise versa. This was going to take Soi some time to get over and forcing her to do things she didn't want to was only going to make the matter worse.

Right after Jiraiya dismissed them for the day, Soi picked a random direction and started walking. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. All she wanted was to be alone with her thoughts and a long walk would help clear her mind.

As she walked, the air got cooler and the sky got darker quicker than it normally did. She quickly searched her mind and remembered that there was supposed to be a thunderstorm in the late afternoon into the late night. Judging by how the sky looked, it must have gotten really late and she wondered how long she had been aimlessly walking around.

A half hour later, several droplets fell from the heavens and landed on her face. She quickly cleared her face of all traces of the rain having been there. The cool droplets reminded her of tears and the last thing she wanted to do was start crying again.

Instead of going home and watching the storm from her window, she hopped up into a tree and waited for the downpour to start. As the rain drew close, so did her tears. The closer they came, the more agitated she became with herself. She hated crying; it made her feel weak and the last thing she wanted to be at the moment was weak.

"What are you doing up there," a familiar voice yelled up at her from the trunk of the tree. She looked down to see Kakashi standing there, hands in his pockets, looking as passive as ever. "It's about to pour, you know?"

"I know." The second the words left her mouth, Soi internally cursed herself for speaking at all. She heard her voice crack and knew that if she could hear it, Kakashi could her it too.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying," but the rise in octave in her voice said otherwise. "I'm just…hungry."

The forest lit up for a brief moment before a loud crack of thunder followed. Heavy rain started to poured down from the sky while Soi continued to fight back her tears.

Kakashi could easily tell that something was wrong with her and knew that she needed to vent. With most people, he would just leave them alone, but Soi was the type of person who would keep all over her pain inside until she found an outlet for her anger. The first thing her taught of to get her out of her slump was to call her mother. "Let me take you home. I'm sure Umeko would-"

"I don't want to go home!"

"Ok, ok," he said in a soothing tone, trying to calm her down. Whatever had gotten her upset must have been huge. He had seen her angry and upset before, but she had only cried in front of him once and that was a sight he never wanted to feel again. "Come home with me. I'll make you something."

The smallest of smiles graced Soi's face at his kind gesture before vanishing as quickly as it came. "Thanks, but you don't need to do that. I'll be fine."

"I want to know what you did in Iwa. For once, I'd like to hear a story before Anko." Soi looked down at him and contemplated if she really wanted to go with him or not. On the one hand, all she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts. On the other, she wanted to question him about why he didn't tell her that he went to visit her in the hospital. And she found it funny that he assumed Anko already knew about Iwa. She guessed it was a fair assumption considering she told Anko everything. "Please."

Soi's eyes almost popped out of her head at his plea. It was rare for him to say please and even more rare for him to say it without a sarcastic undertone. This plea was sincere and almost made her forget about her sadness.

"Alright," she whispered. She jumped down from the tree as gently as she could and stood beside him. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"For this," he said as he raised his hand. A key lay flat in his palm before he stuck it back in his pocket. "I lost it today during training and came to look for it."

Soi smiled to herself before she and Kakashi started walking back to the village. She liked the fact that he had lost something. He wasn't the type who misplaced or lost things and now she had a reason to make fun of him. Not that she ever needed a reason, but it worked just as well.

As the two walked silently in the cold rain, a violet-eyed boy stood fuming behind a tree not to far from them. Kouki bit his lip to keep quiet, but ended up making his lip bleed. He had followed her sever since they were dismissed from training just incase she needed to talk to someone. He had made sure that he made himself available for her when she need a shoulder to cry on, but Kakashi had come in out of no where and took her from him once again.

"I hate you," he muttered under his breath. Rage flicked through his eyes as dreamed of the day he could get rid of the silver haired menace. Soi was his and his alone. One day she would see just how much she meant to him and she would never think about Kakashi again. Of that he was sure.

/\/\

Kakashi's POV  
Her unusual silence was driving me crazy. Not that I enjoyed it when she spoke a mile a minute, but I'd take talkative Soi over silent Soi any day. The rain had soaked us both by the time we reached my apartment, so I gave her an extra set of my pajamas to relax in. Looking at her, damp hair with long pants and shirt would've been comical any other day. She looked like a drowned poodle and it would've been nice to pick on her.

My small apartment was an open design, which allowed me to watch her as I made our dinner. The bedroom was also the living room, the kitchen was also the dining room, and the bathroom was at the far end of the room, next to the closet. Soi sat on the floor, her back leaning against the side of the bed. She looked so sad and broken, but I didn't know what to do about it except ask.

"Here," I said as I handed her a cup a tea. She gave me a quiet thank you and took it. I returned to the kitchen long enough to grab the food. In one hand I balanced a large bowl of Kayu and two smaller bowls and spoons for us to eat out as I moved back over to her of. Normally, I would have a problem with eating on the floor. I couldn't count the times I had to pick up after Guy and Genma, but I could make an exception just this once. "Do you want to talk about it?" I hadn't planned on saying that, it just slipped out. I wanted to ask her about Iwa, but it didn't matter now.

"No."

"You look like you need to." I poured her a bowl and handed it to who, which she took with another small thank you. "Whatever your problem is, you can't keep it inside."

"You keep your problems inside. Why can't I?"

"My problems don't prevent me from acting as I normally do."

"Liar." She took several bits as I mauled over what she said. When had I ever lied to her?

"What do you mean?"

She looked directly at me, with those bloodshot eyes, set her bowl down, and let out and exasperated sigh. "Kakashi, I like you, I really do, but this constant bossy person isn't you. You're much more relaxed and open when it's just you and me. That's the real Kakashi. The guy sitting before me is just a front."

"A front for what?"

"You tell me." Kami, she was infuriating sometimes. I brought her here to talk about her problems, not my nonexistent ones. The sadness in her eyes had almost stopped as she spoke. It made me happy to think that she was getting over her problem, but of course it had to be at my expense. "Anko told me that you use to be a bit of a goofball. You were still serious when it came to being a shinobi, but you knew when it was time to have fun. Where did that Kakashi go?"

I sat my bowl on the floor and looked away from her. Between Soi's picking at my personality, the random strikes of thunder and lightning, and the lights flickering on and off, I was getting annoyed quick. But she was right. A few years ago, none of this would have bothered me. "I'll make you a deal. Tell me why you're so upset and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

The sadness I saw before returned at full force. Her eyes started to fill with tears, but she turned from me to wipe them away. "Tsunade…umm…s-she's gone."

"I'm sure she'll be back soon. You could ask the Hokage how long her mission will last."

"She's…s-she's not on a mission." For the firs time in a long time, I didn't know what to do. When she looked back at me several tears streaked down her face. I wanted to wipe them away, but I didn't know if she would let me. This gloomy, fragile Soi is nothing like that one I have come to know. This side of her shouldn't even exist. The teary eyes, the cracked voice, none of it was right.

"I don't understand."

"S-she, um…s-she left Konoha. She c-can't be our s-sensei anymore." More tears began to fall and her body began to shake. "She left."

"Why?"

Her mouth opened as if she had something else to say, but no words came out. Instead, she laid down on her side and placed her head on my lap and started cry even harder. I didn't know what to do or say, so I did the only thing I could do. I put wrapped on arm around her stomach and squeezed her close while I stroked her hair with the other. My father use to do it to me when I had nightmares or was really upset and I hoped it would work for her.

After a while, her breathing calmed and her tears stopped. Her eyes stayed closed, but the evidence of her breakdown remained. It made me feel a bit better to see her sleeping peacefully. Hopefully she was having pleasant dreams and was able to forget about her troubles for a while.

She felt as light as a feather when I picked her up. It was a little difficult holding her with one arm and pulling back the bed covers, I did it. For a moment, I thought all the moving would wake her up, but she didn't even flinch. The same thought popped into my head when a loud crash of thunder echoed outside, but didn't faze her at all.

Once she was securely under the covers I cleaned up our forgotten dinner and turned off the lights. I was still wide awake, but all I could do was sit and watch her sleep. The bed dipped slightly when I moved to lay above the cover. Again, I thought she would wake, but nothing happened. I took off my mask and threw it down on the floor. The last thing I was worried about putting it away.

With my back against the headboard and my arms folded in front of me, I watched the broken hearted Soi sleep. Every now and then a stray tear fell or she sniffed, but what really struck a cored was when she started talking. At first, I thought she woke up. Then I noticed she was talking in her sleep. She cried out for Tsunade.

Hearing her cry out like that made me angry with Tsunade for what she had done. What could possibly be so important that she would leave her team? Didn't she know what she meant to them? Night after night I had thought about ways to keep her safe from Kouki, but I never though I had to protect her from someone who was supposed to never leave her.

As I watched her sleep, something strange happened to me. It was like a hard realization. Somehow, and I don't know when, Soi had become a very important person to me. I had always felt something for her, out friendship could be seen by anyone, but this was different. I had always wanted to protect her because it felt like the right thing to do, but now it felt like more than that. It was if I just realized that I was born to watch over her.

But there was another feeling. One that had started small, but has grown bigger and hotter over the past few months. I couldn't place my finger on it, but it was a feeling I only felt when I was with her. It was like the water and fire had mixed inside me. It was hot and wild like fire while being cool and fluent like water. Whatever it was, it was strange and made sign of going away any time soon. As long as it didn't interfere with our relationship, I didn't see the use in fighting it.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
I woke up with a pounding headache the next morning. It felt like I had been hit in the head repeatedly and all I wanted was to go back to sleep, but the startling sight before me kept me from doing just that. I have slept next to Kakashi several times before, be it on a mission or when he slept over at my house, but I was practically on top of him at the moment. Although he was above the covers and I was under them, my body was pressed up right against his. What really shocked me was that this was the first time I had ever seen Kakashi without his mask.

His head had fallen forward, eyes elegantly shut, and his lips were slightly parted. I couldn't help but smile up at him. He had a strong, narrow jaw, full lips, and a beautiful cheekbone structure. A while ago he told me his reasons for wearing a mask, but hiding how handsome he was wasn't one of them.

While looking at his exposed face a familiar feeling came over me. One I always got when I was with him. I felt weightless and calm, like all my problems had vanished. This feeling was strange and it never seemed to go away, but grew every time we got close or when I thought about him. When it first happened it scared me. I thought I was getting sick or something, but quickly realized that it only happened when I was with him. I made a mental not to ask mom about it the next time I saw her.

"Rin's going to be a really happy girl one day," I whispered to myself as I sat up. My motions snapped Kakashi out of sleep, making me smile even more. He looked confused, like a lost puppy, and the expression on his face lit up my heart. "Good morning, sleepy head."

He looked at me with sleep filled eyes and it only widened my smile. "Morning." He ran a hand through his messy silver hair and down his face before his body froze. His fingers tapped on his cheek as if he were missing something.

"I might not be the person to get fashion advice from, but I'm going to recommend that you leave your mask off from now on," I said in my usual teasing tone when I wanted to get under his skin. "You look very handsome." I saw his mask out of the corner of my eye. It was discarded on the floor, a few feet away from the bed. When he made a move to grab it, I flung myself over him and grabbed it first, but in my haste I made us both fall off the bed. Being the ridiculous child that I am, I crawled to the other side of the room with the mask in hand.

When he righted himself, he gave me one of his usual annoyed looks and extended his hand to me. "Give it back."

"Give what back?"

"Don't be a child."

"Don't be such a stick in the mud. It's too early to be a grump."

He moved to make a grab for the mask, but I pulled away before he could get it. "Says the girl who is constantly grumpy in the mornings." He made another move to grab it, but missed a second time. "Where's your grumpiness today?"

"Normally I don't have someone to torment in the mornings. If I could wake up to this every day, I wouldn't be so mean in the mornings." I braced myself while watching his body coiled for a third strike, but it never came. Instead, he reached behind him, took a pillow, and threw it at me. I caught it in mid-air with easy, but it catching it was a long enough distraction for him to pounce on me.

My back hit floor with a thud as he pinned my hands above my head with one hand and took the mask with the other. He was on top of me, one leg on either side of my stomach, and used his legs to hover above me just enough to not be resting on me, but enough to keep me in place. "I win."

I thrashed against his hold, but I couldn't budge and inch. He had always been strong, but when did he get this strong? "Fine, you cheater. Now let me up."

"Not yet." He tossed the mask to the side and let go of my hands, but didn't move off of me. I pushed up on my elbows to get a better look at him and partly to make myself more comfortable. Normally I would hate the feeling of being cornered, but it never bothered me when he did it. "We need to talk about last night." What a way to kill the mood. Of course he had to bring that up. Kami, he must think I'm weak for crying like a baby. "Whenever you want to talk about her, if you want to, I'm always here."

Well, that wasn't what I expected him to say. He's surprising more and more these days. "Thank you, but I think one night of crying is more than enough."

"If you say so, but the offer still stands." When he finally rolled off of me he moved to lay next to me.

"Listen, about last night. You said that if I told you what was wrong, you'd tell me anything I wanted to know."

He turned his head enough to look at me, his dark eyes searching mine; I'm not sure for what, before turning to look at the ceiling. "I did. What do you want to know?"

"I don't want to know anything that you don't want to tell me freely." He looked back at me again, this time obviously confused, but didn't say anything. "I realize that I'm passing up an awesome opportunity to pick your brain and learn all of your fun, dirty little secrets, but I don't want to have to force you into telling me anything you don't want to."

Anko and the others had already told me stories about Kakashi and his father, but I never heard them from him. At the same time, I wouldn't bring up anything they told me. What happened to his father and how he feels about it is none of my business. If he wanted to talk about it, that I would more than happily listen.

"Any problems I might have, I'm sure you already know about."

"Maybe, maybe not, but what others say about you mean little to me. I don't believe much of any story until I hear it from the original source. But like I said-"

"My father killed himself." It took everything I had not to let my jaw drop. He said it as casually as asking for the time, like it was nothing. He folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Are…are you ok?" I felt like a fool for asking that, but what else could I say? I've never had to deal with something like this before.

To my extreme surprise, he told me everything. While I sat that, silently taking in everything that he said, I found myself wishing that I could've met Sakumo. The way Kakashi described him made him sound like a truly terrific man. But then he got to the part about his suicide and the mission that humiliated and dishonored his father and how the villagers treated him. Personally, I hated the villagers for what they did to him. I know that missions are important, but so is human life. After hearing the story, I could understand why Kakashi acted the way he does, but at the same time, I wish I could make him understand that what the villagers did was wrong. Valuing the life of your teammates was nothing to be ashamed of.

After his story, we sat together in the silence of his apartment. From my spot on the floor I noticed that the only personal thing in the room was his team picture on his nightstand. There were no other photos, not trinkets, nothing. I have never know someone to try and distance themselves from the world like he does and that thought made me sad.

"My mom always says that a kiss makes everything better." His body instantly stiffened when I leaned over him and placed a small kiss over his heart. If it wasn't for his quickened breath I'm sure I could've heard his heart speed up. When I moved to sit back up, the look on his face was priceless. Twice in one day I was able to confuse him and it wasn't even noon yet. "I know a little kiss wont take away the pain of what happened, but I hope it helps."

Before he could say anything I hopped up off the floor, picked up my clothes from the previous day, and ran into his bathroom. I took a quick shower and the entire time I was enjoying the water I was giggling. From that moment on, freaking out Kakashi was going to be my hobby.

When I emerged from the bathroom he was in the kitchen making tea. I tossed the pajamas he gave me on his bed before darting to the kitchen and sitting on the kitchen counter. He didn't say anything, he didn't even look at me, but it was ok. His mask was back in place and it made me smile. "I have to go home, my mom's probably freaking out, but I really need to tell you something." He nodded his head, but still wasn't looking at me. I lightly grabbed his chin and forced him to look at me. This was something he needed to hear and understand. "I know you don't like me saying this, but please understand that I only say it because I care. Be kind to Rin and Obito. They're your team and they will fight with you, but being on a team is so much more than that. I want you to be able to feel the way I feel about Kouki and Ichirou with Obito and Rin. It's such a rewarding feeling and one day…one day they might not be here and you're going to regret the way you treated them."

He didn't reply, but I didn't expect him too. So I light, kinda, patted his cheek, hopped of the counter, and headed towards the door. "Thanks for the talk," I said as slipped on my shoes. My hand found the doorknob and I pulled open the door, but I didn't leave. I have him one last look. "Thank you for being so good to me." This I meant in all sincerity. No joking, no sarcasm, only honesty. He was so kind and understanding that it felt a bit frightening sometimes, but I knew I could always count on him for anything. I just hope that he knew I would do the same for him.

I left his place without another word and started home. I must have slept in because the sun was higher in the sky then when I normally woke up. When I finally got home, the first two people I ran into were Kouki and Ichirou. They were coming down the stairs and I almost ran into them. I was slightly surprised to see them, but at the same time I really wasn't. They were over all the time, they practically lived here.

"We missed you," Ichirou said as he jumped down the rest of the steps and hugged me tight. I hugged him tight before releasing him and giving one to Kouki. Their hugs, like they always do, made me feel warm inside. It was the same feeling I got when I held Manabu.

After separating myself from Kouki I took old of their hands, one of Kouki's in my left and Ichirou's in my right. I squeezed their warm hands lightly while smiling up at them. "I have to tell you guys something and it might sound sappy, but just listen. I love you guys so much and I don't know what I would ever do without you. I'm not gonna lie, Tsunade-sensei leaving really hurts me and I'm sure it hurts you guys too, but I feel like that as long as I have the two of you, missing her will be somewhat bearable. You guys are like family to be, you're practically my brothers, and I just wanted to say thank you for always being here for me." During my silly little speech, I felt like crying again. You'd think after all the tears I shed last night and the night before, I'd be all cried out, but I apparently still had some to spare. Thinking about her still hurt, the wound she left on my heart wasn't even close to being healed. Nonetheless, I kept the tears inside as I spoke.

"I've always wanted a sister," Ichirou said as he gave me another hug. "We love you too!" I looked over Ichirou's shoulder at Kouki and smiled. He had small smile on his face and I could see love in his eyes. He wrapped he big arms around Ichirou and I, trapping us together in an even tighter hug.

Looking back on my life before I had met them, I never would've guessed that I could be so lucky. I have a loving family, terrific friends, and the perfect team. Everything I had ever wanted came true. I was loved, not feared, and felt like I could take on the world. Tsunade-sensei might not be here any longer, but I had these two. With them by my side, I could withstand anything.

"Where have you been," mom yelled not too far from us. I had been so wrapped up with Kouki and Ichirou that I didn't notice her sneaking up on us. "I had no idea where you were and I was about to send these two to look for you!" And thus the start of a long bombardment from my mother began.

/\/\

AN: I was really considering cutting this into two chapters, but I figured since I take forever to update, I should leave it like this.


	17. The Exams Begin

AN: I know it has been a while since I updated and I'm very sorry for that. I haven't given up on this fic, far from it, but it is going to take me a while to update. School started again and this semester is going to hell. I'll update as frequently as I can, but the chapters may not be as long as they usually are.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 14 – The Exams Begin

The next three months after Tsunade's leave were difficult for Soi and her team. Jiraiya did his best to comfort the young genin, but things weren't they same. Although they were happy to have Jiraiya as their new teacher, but he was no Tsunade. It was also hard because he split his focus between them and something else none of them were sure about. Sometimes he would look as if he were deep in thought or like he was somewhere else entirely.

The Chunin Exam's had crept up on all the genin teams of the village. Most teams were looking forward to it while others wished they had a little bit more time to train. Team 9 was one of the teams who couldn't wait for it to come.

"This is going to be a piece of cake," Ichirou said as he dodged the barrage of kunai that was being hurled at him. "We're going to ace this test for sure."

Kouki gave his friend a smug smirk as he continued to toss kunai at him. Soi was hanging upside from a large tree branch. She used her chakra to stand upside-down while practicing the leaf chakra control exercise Tsunade taught her. Her control over her ability had grown tremendously in such a short time. There were days that Soi wanted to write to Tsunade and tell her about her training, but every time she put her pen to paper, she could feel a familiar sadness wash over her.

_Flashback:  
After Gina had finished yelling at her daughter for not telling her where she was going all those months ago, Soi went to her room to change into a set of fresh clothes. While she discarded her clothes, she checked all of her pockets to make sure there was nothing in them. When she checked her shorts she pulled out the small piece of paper Tsunade had given her the previous night. She had forgotten that she put in her pocket and quickly opened it to see what is said. All that was in it was an unknown address and the words, __**If you need me**__, at the bottom. Before telling her team about it, she went straight to Jiraiya. _

"_This is the address of where she live," he said as he looked over the note before giving it back to her. "Keep it safe and don't tell the others."_

"_Why? They miss her just as much as I do."_

"_I know, but she trusts you with this secret. Beside you, only the Hokage and I knew where she went. She gave that to you incase you ever need her. Don't abuse that knowledge."  
End Flashback_

Soi didn't want knowledge, she wanted her sensei back. She wanted to show her how much stronger she had become, how much she's learned.

Jiraiya had helped her learn to summon her cats probably, but he told her to keep them a secret for when the exams starts. That way everyone will be surprised that a genin has a summons. The only people beside him who knew about them were her family. She let them run around her house all the time. Between Soi's cats and Jiro's pack of dogs, the Catsuko house was full of fur. But they were also a great comfort to Soi. Kai slept with her at night, curled up right against her summoners head. She helped Soi cope with the loss of her sensei simply by staying with her while she cried at night.

"I hope it's not too easy," Soi noted from her place in the tree. She caught a single kunai that Kouki had tossed her way. She gave him a triumphant smirk before tossing it back at him, which he caught with ease. "What do you think we'll have to do?"

"Probably something like the bell test," Kouki replied.

"Nah, it can't be that simple or everyone will pass."

"That's only if every squad was given the bell test. It could have been different for each team."

"True." After finished off her branch of leave, Soi released the chakra from her feet and fell to the ground. She bent her body so she could do a flip in the air and landed next to her violet-eyed friend. "Have you guys seen Jiraiya lately? I haven't seen him for the past few days." Both of her friends replied in the negative, which usually was the case when talking about the white haired Sanin. There were times when he would disappear all together. If he wasn't training them, he would be who knows where doing who knows what. They had asked him several times what he was doing, but he always told them it was a secret. "We should follow him one day just to see what he's up to."

"I'm all for that," the blond said after catching the final round of kunai and moved to stand by his friends. "What do you think he's doing?"

"I don't know, but last week I saw him have a really heated argument with Orochimaru-sensei. I've never seen him look so mad."

"If you guys were planning on spying on me, then you shouldn't speak about it in public," an amused Jiraiya said as he walked into view. "Haven't you three learned anything? You have to be sneaky when you're planning on following someone." The three genin turned sheepish knowing that they have just been caught. They knew better than to plot against him, but they did it anyway. He was a Sanin, of course he would catch them. "Are you guys ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes," they all yelled in unison.

"Do you guys want a hint as to what to expect?"

"No!"

Jiraiya smiled at his students' eagerness for the upcoming tests. "I thought it would be nice if I took you guys out for dinner tonight. This will be the last time I see you until the exams start." The three genin smiled brightly at the thought of a free dinner. Between Ichirou and Kouki's constant contests of who can eat the most, Jiraiya had stopped treating them to free meals long ago. First, it was after every mission. Then it was after every other mission. Eventually the free meals stopped all together.

As they at, or while Ichirou and Kouki shoved food and their faces while Soi and Jiraiya watched with amusement, Jiraiya couldn't but to feel proud. The three young people before him were the future of Konoha and the shinobi world. They would determine which direction the world would take depending on their actions. From where he was sitting, the future couldn't look brighter.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
It was the day of the exams and I was beyond ready for it to start. This was going to be a breeze. With everything I've been taught, there was no way I wouldn't become a chunin.

After dinner last night I went straight home so I could go to bed early. I figured that I should stock up on as much sleep as possible so I was well rested. But as I was getting ready for bed, I kept looking at the pad of paper on my desk. I had written a letter to dad earlier that day, but the paper kept haunting. I wanted to write Tsunade-sensei so badly that it hurt, but I was never physically able to do it.

_Flashback:  
"Would you like me to write the letter for you," Kai asked as she jumped up on my desk and sat next to the pad of paper._

"_Kai, I'd love to see how you write."_

"_Simple. Put the pen in my mouth and maneuver it around."_

"_And the results would be a lot of squiggly lines."_

"_It's better than having you look at an empty piece of paper every three seconds." I rolled my eyes at her and continued to brush my slightly damp hair. I had just finished taking a shower and the heat from the water made me tired. Had it not been for my nightly internal struggle to write sensei or not, I would've passed out already. "I know you miss her Soi, but writing her might be good for you. She might not be in the village anymore, but you act as if you'll never see her again."_

"_I might not."_

_I almost giggled at her annoyed growl, but since she never growls at me I knew I should keep my mouth shut. "This woe-is-me-Soi is not the girl I know. The Soi I pledged my loyalty to is the typed of girl who sees the bright side of things and goes after what she wants. If you want to see Tsunade, you know where she is. Until then, write her."_

_Dear Kami, I knew I loved this cat for a reason. She knew how to pick me up when I was down and did it with ease. I tossed my brush on the desk before scratching the sweet spot behind her ears. "Thanks, Kai."_

_Although it took me a while, I wrote a three-page letter to her. I wrote down everything we had tone as a team, Jiraiya's rigorous training schedule, and the upcoming exams. Once I was done, I took it downstairs and set it on the kitchen counter with the other mail that had to be sent out the next day.  
End Flashback_

The Academy gymnasium was packed with students. There were some from my graduating class that I hadn't seen in a long time and countless others from other classes I had never seen before. Kouki, Ichirou, and I stood in the center of the room while we waited for the administrators to instruct as to what we should do first.

"When is it going to start," Ichirou ask as he jumped up and down in place like a two year old.

I looked at the clock on the wall, which was somewhat hard to do because the numbers were so small, before answering. "It's 7:50am. We have ten minutes."

"That's too long! I want it to start now."

Kouki and I laughed at his impatients. He was always like that, eternally a child. And just like a child, he couldn't keep a secret to save his life. You could ask him anything and the answer would slip right out. When we celebrated Kouki's birthday he told Kouki what we got him all because the violet-eyed buzzkill asked him.

What happen next was something totally unexpected, but at the same time not as shocking as it could've been. One second I was standing up and the next I was lifted several feet off the ground. Strong arms were squeezing me against a broad torso that I hadn't seen in a while.

"Soi, it has been so long since I last saw you, my beautiful flower."

"Hi Guy," I somehow managed to choke out. "You're squeezing too tight." I wanted to say more, but it was quickly becoming hard to breath. My hand tapped against him several times as a signal for him to release me. Thankfully he understood what I was asking for and set me on the ground, but still stayed close.

"Are you excited for the exams to begin!? It's going to be so magnificent. We'll be able to demonstrate our youthful abilities in front of everyone."

"Of course we are. Look at Ichirou. He's practically jumping out of his skin." Guy looked over my shoulder curiously and I followed his gaze. My favorite hyperactive blond was an obvious bundle of nerves. Not the bad kind, the kind that was fueled with excitement.

As I turned back to look at Guy I caught a glimpse of Anko coming my way. She had her typical smile, I mean grin, on and I made a mad dash for her. Mimicking Guy's earlier movements, I swooped her up in a vise like hug. "Down, girl," she said through her laughter. I set her back on her feet and then we started off in an all out blabber fest.

Thegroup of us chatted away aimlessly when a loud voice somehow managed to be heard over the crowed. "Everyone, can I have your attention please?" The room quickly fell silent and all the genin gave their attention to the owner of the voice. Standing on a small platform stood the familiar figure of my Uncle Jiro and by the way he looked, he wasn't happy to be here. I knew that he would be one of the proctors for the exams for a while, mainly because my family doesn't know how to keep secrets, but I never said anything about it.

For weeks he had been leaving the house early and coming home late, each day he'd look a little more run down than before. It was funny because he's the type of person to go with the flow and take everything in strides, but I guess when you're put in charge of overseeing the Chunin Exams, things can become a bit hectic. His short brown hair was pointed in every different direction and the dark bags under his eyes could be seen from the center of the room. He was naturally a tall person, but the extra life made it easier for everyone to see him. "The first test will begin shortly. I'm going to assign each team to a classroom and you are to report there once I'm finished. Once everyone is in their assigned rooms you will be handed your first test."

From there, Jiro proceeded to assign each of us our rooms which seemed like it took forever since there were so many groups. Anko's team was in the same room with us, so the six of us walked together. We wondered about what type of test we would need to take inside. Kouki threw out a few guess, but all of which were things we could do outside. We were shinobi after all. Almost all our abilities were best suited outdoors were we couldn't damage anything valuable. But our questions were quickly answers the second we walked into our room.

The room was filled with rows of empty desks; each had a blank piece of paper and a pencil on the top. There were two shinobi sitting with their backs to the walls at each end of the room and one standing in the center. "Have a seat anywhere in the room, but you are not allowed to sit next to a teammate," the once in the center said. "And don't flip over that paper on your desk until I tell you to. Anyone who does so will be automatically disqualified along with the rest of his or her team." That was a little unnerving. Granted that it shouldn't be hard not to turn over a piece of paper, but to disqualify an entire squad for that? It seems a bit harsh, especially since we were basically taking a test. None of us have taken a test since graduation, so this was definitely the highest level of stupidity I have ever seen.

Sounds of chairs scraping against the floor echoed through the room for a few seconds as everyone took their seats. Anko and I sat next to each other and silently mouthed some encouraging words to each other before the proctor spoke again. "In front of you is a five questions exam. You'll have two hours to complete it and anyone who finishes early will be asked to leave the room, but make sure to return to the gymnasium. Some of the questions are subjective; so don't worry too much about those. The test will be a weighed grade between all members of the squad. If one fails, so do the others. Answer each question to the best of your ability and there is to be absolutely no cheating. All cheaters will be disqualified and so with their teammates and the entire team will be dropped from the shinobi program." Anko and I exchanged worried glances. This was no joke. One wrong glance and it's all over. "You may begin."

Everyone flipped over their papers and the test began. I quickly skimmed the test before writing anything and I instantly got a headache. All of the questions seemed like they were purposely designed to screw us up. The first one was a mathematical problem about jumping from the ground into a tree and how to calculate the high of the tree and blah blah blah. I have never needed to know this stuff in my life, so why did I need it now? When I want to jump into a tree, I do it. I don't calculate anything, it's all action. As I started writing, more like guessing, I mentally cursed Jiraiya and Tsunade-sensei for not teaching us this stuff. I had always been good at tests, but that was because I had time to study. Virtually nothing on the paper before me rang any bells.

I'm not sure how long into the exam we were when the proctor's authoritative voice rang once again. "You," his voice boomed as he started towards me. I froze on the spot and looked up at him. At that moment, I swear to Kami I felt my heart stop for a few seconds because I was so scared. I hadn't done anything except what he told us to do. "You're out." He stopped next to my desk and I could feel my breath catch in my chest.

"B-but I didn't do anything." At this point, this was the most terrifying moment of my life, so much so that I even stuttered.

"Not you. You," he said as he took the paper from the kid behind me. "I said no cheating. You and your team are disqualified."

I could hear screams of protest from behind me, but none of it registered. My mind was in a far off place while my heart rate slowed and my lungs began to work properly again. Forget the first time I ever used my kekkei genkai on accident or the first mission I had when I had to kill someone. I had never been more afraid of anything in my life.

Ichirou was the first member of my team to finish the test. Actually, he was the first one to finish out of all of us. I smiled to myself at how gleeful he looked. He had always been smart, and I mean really smart, so I'm sure he breezed through this with no problem. I watched as the proctor took his test and excused him from the room. Several minutes later, other began to finish up as well. Kouki, Anko, and I finished around the same time. Once our papers were collected, the three of us left the room together.

Out in the hallway, leaning against the wall, stood my sweet little blond Ichirou. "What did you think of the test?"

I couldn't help but groan as I moved closer to Kouki's side and laid my head on his shoulder. "That was horrible." They all chuckled at me while Kouki wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. "It's not funny. I thought I was going to get kicked out."

"Besides watching Soi almost have a heart attack, it wasn't that much fun," Anko said in a mixed amused and annoyed face. "I don't know about you guys, but Orochimaru-sensei didn't teach us things like that."

"Neither did Jiraiya or Tsunade-sensei," Ichirou added.

The four of us continued chatting as we walked back to the gymnasium. Several other genins were there, but not many. As more and more test takers started filing in, I kept a close eye out for my friends. Kakashi, Rin, Guy, and Iruka were the first ones I spotted, but the rest started filing in soon enough. We all talked about the test and how irrelevant it seemed to us becoming chunin. While we talked, I slipped away from Kouki and made my way over to Rin. I took her hand and slowly led her away from the group. If I moved slowly enough, Kakashi wouldn't see me and I wouldn't have to explain to him what we're up to.

"Did you get him to fall for you yet?" Had I been spoken to Anko, my words would've been bet with an equally blunt answer, but I forgot who I was talking to for a second. Her face turned bright red, wide eyes, and clenched jaw at my forwardness. "I'm sorry. Let me put it another way. Is he nicer?" Rin looked down at the worn out wooden floor and shook her head no. "Why does he have to be so difficult!?" I looked over at his direction and glared. He was ruining my plans and I was starting to think that he was doing it on purpose. When I looked back at her, she was still looking down. I placed a finger under her chin and forced her to look at me. "Look up. There's nothing interesting on the ground."

"I'm sorry."

I tilted my head to the side and knitted my brows together. "For what?"

"You've been kind enough to help me, but I can't seem to get him to notice me."

"That's because he's got a thick head. He'll come around eventually." As I pondered the next move in our little game, I noticed the sadness building up in her eyes, her gaze once again on the ground. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She looked at me briefly before looking away. Something was definitely wrong. "I think…maybe we should stop."

"Why?"

"He, well, at least I think…I think he likes someone else."

Red. There was no color in my world now except red. "WHO," I yelled. The entire gym went quiet and I received some question looks, but I ignore them. "Who is it? I'm going to kill her." This time I was quieter, but there was so much venom in my voice that I don't know how I didn't choke from the poison. And I truly did have every intention of killing this girl. All those hours racking my brain of ways to get Kakashi to notice her, to recognize what a wonderful person she is, and I would be damned if he had eyes for someone else.

Rin to a step back away from me, but I took one forward. "I'm…I'm not sure."

"Don't lie, Rin. I want her name."

"I really don't know. He just seems distracted, like he's always thinking about someone." I didn't know Rin as well as I would like, a problem that I was going to have to fix, but I could tell she wasn't telling me the entire story. "Or I could be misreading the situation."

As I was about to speak, Jiro walked onto the platform and took command of the room again. "Give me your attention please. All teams that are currently present have passed the first test." The room filled with joyous cheers at the news, but it was quickly halted by Jiro's interruption. "The next test will being in half an hour. You are to report to the Twenty-Sixth training ground in precisely thirty minutes. Any stragglers will be automatically disqualified." Rin and I exchanged worried looks. This again? They weren't making any of this easy on any of us.

Rin and I walked back to our group while Jiro continued to speak. Kakashi, Kouki, Anko, and Iruka looked at me questionably. Anko's look had a hint of amusement to it. "What was with the yelling?"

I gave one quick look at Kakashi and started to get angry again, but I kept my cool. I moved to Kouki's side and leaned into him. "Nothing."

/\/\

Rin's POV  
All of us headed towards the Twenty-Sixth training ground after the break. The proctors provided everyone with snacks and a drink, but I couldn't stop thinking about the brief conversation Soi and I had. She had gotten so mad at the thought that Kakashi might like someone other than me. She seemed so sincere, but how do I tell her that she is the other girl? It would crush her not to mention it would make things weird between her and Kakashi. But at the same time, does she really not see the affect she has on him? When she's around he almost becomes an entirely different person. He's much more relaxed when he's with her and the way he treats her is like he holds her up above the rest of the world.

Even now, as they're standing side by side, talking about this upcoming test, he looks like he has no problems in the world and her anger seems to have disappeared. Though I can't see his lips, it looks like he's smiling under that mask of his. From what I've seen, he has the same affect on her. She seems to light up more whenever he's around.

I like Soi, a lot. She's a terrific person and a good friend, but how this seems like a fight that I can't win. How can I compete with someone like her? She's so confident, strong, bold, basically, everything I'm not. Perhaps she's better for him than I am.

"Rin, did you hear me," Obito said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I was so wound up in my thoughts that I didn't even notice that he moved to stand beside me. "Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"The proctors about to make an announcement. Let's move up so we could hear him."

"Ok," I replied with a smile. His hand moved to my forearm and he started to pull me through the crowed. There were so many others that I'm sure I would've gotten lost if he hadn't been holding me. As we stood in the front of the crowed, my thoughts couldn't be farther from where they should be. I stole a quick glance over my shoulder at Kakashi and Soi. They were listening intently to the direction, side by side. For a moment, just a second, I was angry with her. She had everything I wanted and she didn't even know it. But once that moment had passed I instantly hated myself for feeling that way. It wasn't Soi's fault that all this was happening. If anything I should thank her for going out of her way to help me. Once this exam is over, the first thing I'm going to do is give that girl a hug.


	18. Too Rough

AN: Like I said last chapter. Please don't get mad with me because this chapter (and probably a lot in the future) are short. I figured that if I write short ones in between classes, I can update more often. I feel kinda bad, but it is the only thing I can think of at the moment.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 15 – Too Rough

Kouki's POV  
It was nice talking with Anko and the others in between the exams and it was great that they hall passed the first test, but what would be even better was if one of those screw-ups on Kakashi's team would've flunked out on the test. He is standing much to close to Soi for my liking. Their bodies are practically touching due to the crowed.

Ichirou and I were standing a good distance from them. Everyone was paying attention to the new proctor while he gave the instructions for the next test. I couldn't see him from where I stood, but I could hear him as clear as a bell.

"Behind me, you will see a large, gated forest. This is the site for you next test. Inside you will have to find another squad to spar off against, but make sure it's only one team. Each team will be given a jounin and they will who will perform two jobs while they are with you. The first is that they will monitor the fight to make sure things don't get out of hand. They are not here to help you, so don't look to them for guidance. Second, think of them as your client or as a bystander. You are to escort them through the forest safely. If an apposing team defeats you or gets close enough to your jounin that they could be killed, you lose. The team who wins will be accompanied by the losing team's jounin to the exit. You need to have two jounin with you in order to pass. Coming out with one or none means you lose." The man paused for a moment before speaking. I'm guessing that he looked at his watch, but I don't know for sure. "You have two hours to complete the test. The teams that win will proceed to the next round. The only rule is that you are not to kill one another. Besides that, it is fair game. Use any tactics and jutsu's you see fit."

Ichirou and I exchanged glances and smiled. This was as close as we would get to not holding back since that blood filled mission. It would be better if we didn't have a babysitter tagging along, but I'll take what we can get. When I turned back around I caught a glimpse of Soi. She was looking over her shoulder, smirking at me. She gave me a mischievous wink, obviously being on the same page as Ichirou and I. Kami, I love how playful she can be sometimes.

All teams were ordered to spread out around the gated woods and fined a free jounin. The forest was shaped in a giant square so it would be harder for us to find each other. It took us a little while to find a free jounin, but it didn't matter. The exam wasn't going to start until everyone was settled and ready to go. Soi and Ichirou started talking with her as we waited. She didn't seem all that interested in us, as if she was forced into doing this job, but I didn't let it bother me. I was about to have some fun and her sour mood wasn't going to ruin it for me.

Once the proctor did a loop around the forest to check if everything was set, the gates opened and we were allowed in. The fours of us took to the trees and sped through the forest in search of another team. As we went, Ichirou continued talk with the jounin. She looked less than pleased with his constant questions about how much she likes being a jounin, but Soi and I got a good kick out of watching her squirm.

"If he keeps this up, she'll kill him before for we find another team," she whispered from my side. I smiled back at her, but said nothing.

We ran through the woods for a good ten minutes before we came across another team. They were on the ground, a clear disadvantage for them. The four of us stopped short in the trees as we watched them closely. "Number One, Two, or Three," Ichirou asked from behind me.

"Number Two," Soi replied. She looked over her shoulder to the grumpy jounin and ordered her to stay in the trees. The woman simply shrugged and leaned back against the hard wood.

I personally would've gone with Number One, but it doesn't matter. Each tactic would've worked in our favor. Tsunade-sensei taught us three different offensive formations before she left and we numbered them to keep track of which ones were which. Number One was my favorite, Two was Soi's, and Three was Ichirou's.

Our hands were in sink while we make hand singles for a substitution jutsu. The three substitutes jumped to the ground while the three of us formed a triangle shape in the trees. We watched from our individual spots as the team below fought our duplicates. The girl member on the team wasn't half bad. She fought with an admirable fury, but each powerful blow she attempted to make on my clone seemed calculated. Even so, she couldn't hold a candle to my Soi. There was no better kunoichi in the world than her.

The boy who was fighting Soi's double was obviously getting angry that he couldn't land a hit on her. Soi was a naturally fast person, which is why it usually took both Ichirou and I to even come close to hitting her during training, so this guy had no chance.

The third guy was overpowering Ichirou's clone, but not by much. In Ichirou, I mean the clone's defense; the kid looked like he had been taking steroids of something. He was huge. Also, Ichirou was never the type for close combat when it came to being in his own body. When he was himself, he was much more afraid of getting hit, but when he transferred his mind or used his genjutsus, it was like he is an entirely different person. His inner sadist comes out in full swing and has no sign of having mercy.

There was a small poofing sound and the log that Ichirou used to distract our targets fell to the ground. That was our queue to go down. We spent enough time watching their movements that I'm sure we cold defeat them in our sleep.

Soi was the first to touch the ground, followed by Ichirou, then myself. I dropped down in front of the girl who had been fighting my double. She didn't seem nearly as confused as the others did about the whole substitution thing. It was one of the first jutsu's we learned at the academy. Why people don't use it more is beyond me.

As we fought I gave her a silent, mental praise for being up to keep up with two of me. Soi and I still had our substitutes active, which undoubtedly made it hard for my and Soi's opponents. I'd like to say that Ichirou's enemy had it easy because he had only one to deal with, but knowing the blond bundle of energy, he wasn't going to take it easy on the guy.

Forgetting my friends, I gave the girl in front of me my full attention. Her black eyes and hair against her pale white skin make her look like a ghost, but her slightly creepy appearance didn't scare me. What did set me back is when her dark eyes turned bright red. I really didn't want to fight an Uchiha, but there wasn't much of a choice in the matter.

My clone charged for her as I circle behind her. Lightning quick, she tossed a kunai at my clone, making turn back into a log, then turned to face me. I was a few feet away from her which turned out to be far enough to barely get burned. Just as quick as she threw the kunai, her hands flew through the signals to form a fire jutsu. A massive flaming ball of fire came hurling at me. I jumped back and landed on the side of the tree, the chakra coming from my feet keeping me place.

When the fire ball collided with the tree next to the one I was in, the girl looked up at me in blatant confusion. I smirked triumphantly before taking a kunai out of my pouch and springing towards her. I often forget that I know many things that other genin don't. If I could, I would give Tsuande-sensei a big thank you for teaching us this kind of chakra control.

As we fought, I heard several more poofing sounds in the distance. Metal clanked together, probably kunai, and as time dragged out I wondered what was taking us so long to end this fight. I know I was having trouble with the girl, she was copying everything I was doing, but Soi and Ichirou should've been done by now.

"The rule was no killing," our female jounin said as she jumped down from the trees. She landed next to the other team's jounin who had been sitting under a tree this entire time.

"He's not dead…I think," Soi yelled back. There was a pause for a moment before she said, "Yeah, he's alive, but he's going to need a doctor." Her words brought a smile to my face. My opponent wasn't giving me enough time to see what Soi had done, but I'm sure I would've smiled even more.

The Uchiha girl had be on the defensive ever since I came down from the tree, not giving me any room to take the offensive. Again, I congratulated her in my head for being so strong, but she was quickly becoming a pain.

"Didn't I say no killing," our jounin yelled again.

"He's not dead," Ichirou said innocently. What were those two doing? I couldn't resist not know and took a quick look over my shoulder. Soi was helping Ichirou stand up. His arm was draped over her as they stood. At their feet were the two boys; one lying unconscious and the other was covered in blood in the fetal position.

I'll admit, taking my attention off the girl was a rookie mistake. My curiosity got the better of me and I paid for it. The girl's blade slight across my chest in a perfect line. Luckily, it wasn't deep, but it hurt like hell. After cutting me she followed with another fire ball, but this time I was ready for her. As the ball came at me, I put up my hands and waited for contact.

I always hated it when people used lighting or fire based jutsus. They hurt a lot more than the others. The fire ball continued to roll around before me until I pushed it back at her. As it flew at her, I followed close behind it. I couldn't see over the ball, so I had to hope that it would hit her. Of course my luck isn't that good. She dodge to the side, so I lept at her.

Her eyes darted from the fire ball the collided with a tree to me, but I didn't give her enough time to protect herself. My fist collided with her face, sending her to the ground, hard. There was a loud thump as her head cracked against the ground.

"Nice job," Ichirou said from behind me. As I turned to look at him, I was met by his arms wrapping against my arm. Soi mimicked his action and they both squeezed my limbs much more tightly than I would've liked, but I didn't push them off. "You hardly use your repel technique that I almost forgot you had it."

"I didn't forget," Soi said as she faked anger and moved away from me. Ever since we tested the theory of if her kekkei genkaicould over power mine, she always fakes being angry at me when I use my repel. "How are you r hands?"

Ichirou let go of me as I lifted up my hands. My palms were a little pink from the fire, but not burnt. Tsunade-sensei had taught me how to make some really good ointment to help prevent my skin from burning from attacks like that. I had to apply it three times a day, a bit of an annoyance, but it keeps my skin from burning up. And even if I forgot it, Ichirou was my personal medic. Sensei had taught him basic medical jutsus, which of course he picked up quickly. His mom is a medic-nin, so she helps him perfect it.

"I'm fine." I tore my eyes away from them to look at the two jounin. They were both huttled around the fallen boys, completely ignoring us. "Can we leave now? We're done."

Both of them looked at us, a mixture of anger and something else in their eyes. Fear, maybe. Or it could've been confusion. I didn't really care. I wanted to leave before time ran out.

The two of them ignored me and looked back at the boys. "Nanami, go with them, but send the medics back," the other team's jounin said.

"I will. Make sure to keep pressure on the wound." Our jounin looked back at us, but this time she looked really pissed. "You three, let's go."

"But don't we need two of you," Ichirou asked innocently.

"Are you kidding? The point of this exercise was to see how the three of you function as a team, not put your opponents in life threating danger. Because of you, Rinka has to stay and watch them until I can bring back help."

Ichirou put his hands up, palms facing her, defensively. "In our defense, none of them are dead."

"If they make it to a doctor," Soi whispered from my side. I snickered at her. She could be really evil sometimes.

"Enough. We're leaving." Nanami took to the trees and sped off, the three of us right behind her. When we flew past the gate and out of the forest, there were already two teams that had finished, one of them being Kakashi's team. "Wait here," the woman said before storming away from us.

After watching her walk away, I turned to my teammates. "We passed, right?"

"We should. We didn't kill anyone. That's a win in my book," Soi said before walking over to Kakashi's group. Reluctantly, I followed her, Ichirou following me. I hated it when she was alone with him. Hell, I hated it when they were within a mile of each other.

Kakashi looked at the three of us, over to our really pissed off jounin, then back at us. "What happened?"

"We won," Ichirou shouted happily.

"But we got a little rough with the other team," Soi added. "The other jounin stayed back with them."

The six of us watched Nanami to the head proctor, two other jounin, and a small group of medical-nin. After a nasty glance in our direction, she escorted the medics into the forest and didn't look back.

"A little rough," Obito asked skeptically. "A squad of medics just went in there. What did you guys do?"

"They're alive. Isn't that all that matters?"

/\/\

Kakashi's POV  
How could Soi take this situation so lightly? Not only did they have to send four medics to retrieve the other team, but now all the proctors are whispering and looking at them and they don't even seem to care. They were to wrapped up in their perfect little fantasy worlds to see the severity of the situation.

"Come here," I said. I grabbed Soi by the arm and dragged her away from the group, not giving her a chance to follow me willingly. When we were far enough away, I dropped her arm and turned to her. I was all set to yell at her, but she was looking up at me innocently with the big brown eyes.

"What's wrong," she asked softly.

It took me a second to come back to myself. Being around her had never caused me to hesitate before. Why was it happening now? "What happened in there?"

"I didn't do anything wrong. I used my ability to stun my opponent. I used just enough so he wouldn't get back up again. That's all."

"What do you mean, wouldn't get back up again?"

She rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed at my question, but I had to ask. "I didn't kill him, Kakashi. He's going to be in a lot of pain for a while, but he'll be fine in a few days. You need to have more faith in me." She turned to storm away, but I grabbed her hand to hold her in place.

"I do trust you. It's him I don't trust." I looked over her head to see Kouki glaring in our direction. There was no doubt in my mind that his anger was directed at me, but I didn't care.

"What I did has nothing to do with him, so don't blame my actions on Kouki." Her hand jerked from mine violently as she also gave me a death glare. "I know that the two of you don't like each other. Why, I don't know, but I've come to terms with it. But just because you don't like him doesn't mean you can start accusing him of things."

"Come on, Soi. You go overboard on a lot of things, but not when it comes to fighting. You know when someone is beaten and to show mercy."

"How would you know that? We've never been on a mission together where we had to fight."

"No, we haven't, but I know you. You're much too kind of a person to do anything over the top. You at least have some humanity."

"And he doesn't?" She clasped her hand into fists at her side and stood very still, something I have only seen her do a few times. It's a defense technique she uses when she's angry. If she accidently slips with her kekkei genkai, the only person she ends up hurting is herself.

"He's a bad influence on you. For Kami's sake, he…" She had gotten me so frustrated that I almost slipped. I almost told her that he knew about what Ukyo and the others had planned to do to her.

"What? He did what?" I shook my head and said nothing. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm so…so tired of this, Kakashi. You need to learn to trust people or you're going to end up alone one day and it will be all your fault."

"I trust you."

"Obviously not enough to make my own decisions." And with that final bit of hurt said, she stormed off back to the group. Watching her walk up to Kouki, watching him hold her close made me sick.

Soi and I had argued before, but nothing to this magnitude. Nothing to where she had to keep her emotions in check so she doesn't accidently hurt me or herself. I was losing her to him and I couldn't take it. There wasn't much I could do about the fact they were on the same team, but I could at least keep her away from him when they weren't on mission. I could do something, anything, but I couldn't think of anything that would grab her attention.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
I loved it when Kouki held me. He either put his arm around my shoulder or my waist. It made me feel safe and loved, two things I knew I could always count on receiving from him. He was the perfect brother and I could only hope Manabu would turn out half as great as him. "You ok," he asked as he rubbed his hand up and down my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I lied. I wasn't ok, not even close.

/\/\

AN: Just a reminder, please remember to leave a comment. I like knowing what you guys think. It could be bad, good, tell me that you got a new kitten. It doesn't matter.


	19. Semi Finals

AN: So, I should be apologizing a lot. This semester is killing me. I promised myself that even if I didn't update every week or so that I'd at least write something everyday. I failed at that too. I'm so sorry for the delay.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 16 – Semi-Finals

Nanami's protests went unheard about Team 9's actions. The head proctor decided that since several other teams were injured during the exam and they were allowed to pass, Team 9 would do the same. But it wasn't the simple fact that the three young fighters had hurt their follow genin, it was how they did it. The looks she saw in their eyes was almost enough to frighten her. There was no fear or hesitation, only the thrill for the battle. She had proctored the Chunin Exams four times and she has seen a wide range of children battling it out. Brave, strong, scared, and confused genin came with the territory, but never had she seen ones who only desire was to obtain pure domination over their opponents.

There was a three hour break tests which gave the exam participants more than enough to relax. All teams were told to report to ANBU training building, basement room B, for the semi-finals. Team 9 kept to themselves, as did most of the other teams. Soi's anger slowly subsided, but she still wasn't her typical happy self. She was itching for a fight and couldn't wait to relieve her remaining stress.

"What do you think the next exam will be like," Ichirou asked.

"Something more challenging I hope. I'm getting bored," Soi replied her mind on autopilot as she mindlessly brushed stray blond hairs out of Ichirou's face. She couldn't forget the argument she had with Kakashi and it was bugging her. She knew that she should be focused on the exams, but the silver haired boy kept finding his way back into her thoughts.

The trio was outside the ANBU training building, waiting for their break to end. Kouki and Soi had their backs against the brick wall while Ichirou laid down next to Soi, his head resting in her lap. He closed his eyes and sighed under het touch. "Me too."

Soi leaned her head on Kouki's shoulder. "I love you guys." It was a random statement, but a true one. After her little spat, she felt the need to say something positive. "You're the best."

As if they were on the same wavelength, the two boys reacted to her confession in a matter of seconds. Ichirou's lips found her cheek and Kouki's found her temple. The loving affection made her giggle with pure happiness for the first time that day. Ichirou wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled the side of her face, making her laugh again. "We love you too!"

For the remainder of the break, Soi's damp mood turned into an uplifting glow. Her smiled had returned along with her focus. Any remaining thoughts she had about Kakashi were pushed back to the farthest regions of her mind.

The seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours and before they knew it, all teams were in the large ANBU training center in the bottom of the building. There were cement blocks scattered around the floor to hide behind, multiple metal polls of different widths running along the ceiling from one of the room to the other, and a pool of water in the center. The room was about three floors tall, with a large balcony at the top that over looked the entire arena.

"Wow. The Hokage doesn't mess around when it comes to ANBU training," Ichirou said, his face practically pressed against the thin glass as he overlooked the training field.

The clock on the wall in the observation are signal that it was time to start when the little red second hand found its way to the 12. Jiro, followed by six other proctors and the team leaders, walked into the room silently. The room went quiet as all the teams gave their undivided attention to the proctors.

Each team leader went to their teams and spoke some words of encouragement. Some of the genin's moods turned south knowing that their sensei's would be watching them, but it didn't faze other. Minato congratulated his team for making it as far as they did, but wasn't surprised that they did so. Jiraiya smiled at his pupils and said that he'd buy them dinner if all three of them past as a congratulation gift, but it one failed then he wouldn't treat any of them. His challenged further encouraged his team, if that were at all possible, but in the back of his mind there was a nagging feeling. He loved his team, but he wished that Tsunade would be standing in his place.

Jiro, who didn't look any better than he had earlier that day, took center stage and spoke in as calming as a voice as he could muster without wanting to snap and walk out the door. He also congratulated his team for their achievement, but he still looked a frazzled mess.

"You're uncle looks like death," Ichirou whispered into Soi's ear.

"No kidding," Soi replied.

After the first exam, Jiro was ready to call it a day and go home. The third part of the exams was supposed to be held at the academy, but an unexpected plumbing accident caused the gym and the lower levels of the building to flood. At the very last minute he had to scramble to figure out where the third exam was going to be. After a lot of begging to Chief ANBU and the Hokage, he was given permission to use a free training room at ANBU HQ. It was the first time the Chunin Exams were allowed to take place there and, if the Chief ANBU had anything to say about it, would be the last. There were too many secrets within the building, secrets that were not for the eyes of children.

"First, I'd like to say congratulations to all of you for making it this far. However, the remaining exams will not be as easy as the previous two." The tension in the room shifted from calm and attentive to uncomfortable. A handful of genin wondered what could possibly be worse than what they've already gone through. "For this next exam, you will not be allowed to work in teams. The only person you can look to for help is yourself."

Jiro spotted a few worried face amongst the young shinobi. "Don't be too worried. Unlike the first two exams, this is completely solo mission. If you fail, you are the only member of your team who will flunk. If the other two pass, then they go on again. Anyone who fails is more than welcome to take the exam over again when the next Chunin Exams come around."

Hope returned to the faces of the once sullen genin who had started to doubt themselves. Jiro make a mental not to keep track of the few he noticed were visibly afraid of failing. Chances were that he'd see them again during the next exam. To no surprise, Soi and her friends were not among them. In fact, they were the proudest and most confident of the bunch.

One of the jounin who walked in with Jiro handed him a clipboard. Jiro thanked the man and quickly scanned the contents that were written on it. "I have list of who will be sparing who and the order of the matches. You may use any tactic you wish. The only rule is the same as before, no killing." Jiro took another quick glance at the before reading the names of the first fighters. "Anko and Obito are up first."

Anko practically jumped out of her skin as she ran to the front of the room and stood next to Jiro. Obito, who looked just as eager, did the same. "Follow Shig and the others downstairs and wait for the order to start," he said as he pointed to jounin by the door. Shig, a tall woman with dark brown hair and bright green eyes, smiled at the two genin. She opened the door and started towards the arena, followed by Anko and Obito, then three other jounin who happened to be medic-nin.

Everyone in the observatory looked through the glass at the six figures below. Shig stood in the center of the room with Anko and Obito on either side of her. The three jounin that followed them took their individual places in the corners of the room. They were there as a precautionary measure in case anyone was to get seriously hurt.

"Alright, you guys already know that rules. Once I give the signal, you are allowed to begin. Any questions," Shig asked. Both Anko and Obito shook their head in the negative. "Good luck." She looked up to the observatory to wait for her orders. Jiro nodded his head towards her and looked back at the two genin. "Begin," she said before jumping out of their way and to the only open corner.

Neither Anko nor Obito hesitated once they were given the signal. Obito unsheathed a kunai from its pouch and charged for her. Anko dodged him with ease, but made no motion to counter. This went on for a few minutes until she found her opening. As his fist moved in a downward motion, the tip of the blade almost slicing her left arm, Anko moved to the right just enough to land a powerful kick to his ribs.

As Obito fought through the pain of what would turn out to be two bruised ribs, he was shocked at what she did next. It was never good for any of Anko's opponents when she gave them a devilish smirk and Obito was about to see a small glimpse of her wicked side. Snakes began falling out of her sleeves and onto the floor. Without any verbal cues, the horde of snakes slithered towards their prey.

Obito stood stunned for a few seconds before moving out of their direct path. It took out several kunai, aimed, and threw his blades at the income serpents. He landed a successful hit with every blade, but there were still plenty more.

While he continued warding off Anko's snakes, he didn't noticed what she was doing. As her pets were keeping him occupied Anko began to summon an even bigger snake. Orochimaru had warned her not to summon Manda, his size alone would level the village, but didn't stop her from summoning other big snakes. Her summons came in all shapes and sizes, but her favorite, next to Manda, was Miora. Miora is a twenty-six foot long python with dark brown and black markings.

Miora wrapped her herself into a tight coil at Anko's feet. "Wait until I brink him to you," Anko ordered, in a slightly overly perky tone, before charging towards Obito. Miora's watched her summoner with some amusement at the dark haired girl and the smaller snakes started backing Obito to her.

From the observatory Orochimaru watched her favorite student with smug pride. Anko had always been willing to please him and now was no different. She promised him that she was going to pass the exams with flying colors and she had yet to disappoint him.

Jiraiya, who had inched his way over to his old friend, leaned over and whispered, "don't you think she's a little young to be using summons?"

"Not at all. She's much more qualified to be a summoner than any of the other genin here."

Jiraiya shrugged and smirked. In the back of his mind, he knew Orochimaru was right. Anko was a very talented young girl, but so was Soi. Just as he instructed Soi to keep her summons as a surprise for the exams, Orochimaru did the same. The Toad Sage stole a quick glance at his old pupil and wondered if he had taught any of his students to toad summons.

Anko and the few remaining little snakes she had were successful in maneuvering Obito into her trap. She gave him no room to counter and barely enough room to run. Once he was close enough Miora shot forward and wrapped her long body around his small frame. Her muscles tightened as he struggled against her, but he couldn't get free. Soon his legs gave out and he fell to the floor, but she didn't let go.

"That's enough, Miora," Anko said with her typical smug pride as she stood to the side of Obito's head. "He has to be able to breath."

"Where's the fun in that," the snake replied, her voice completely serious. Out of all the types of summons in the world, the snakes were the most deadly. Any chance they were given to kill, they were more than willing to take. Had Anko not ordered her to stop, Miora wouldn't have let go until every bone in Obito's body was crushed and his lungs stopped functioning.

"Do you give up?"

"No," Obito shot back as he glared up at Anko. His bravery and determination were commendable, but not needed. Miora squeezed harder, making Obito let out a loud groan.

"That's enough," Shig said as she appeared next to Anko. "You've wont. Tell your to get off."

Miora lifted her head to glare at Shig. "I'm not a pet," she hissed.

"Of course you're not," Anko cooed as she calmly stroked the top of Miora's head. "But you do have to get off of him. I'll take you to the forest later so we can go play," she said with a wink. Reluctantly, Miora uncoiled herself before disappearing into a puff of white smoke. Anko extended a hand to Obito and he took it. His entire body was shaking as he slowly regained feeling in his body. Anko draped one of his arms around her shoulder and held him up. "You ok? Want me to get a medic?"

Obito looked down at the floor, completely dejected about losing. "No. I've embarrassed myself enough."

"Don't worry. There's always next time." Obito rolled his eyes before the two of them started for the exit.

"Well, that was fast," Jiro whispered to himself. He had known Anko for years and always knew that she would make an excellent fighter, but he didn't expect her to be so skilled so early on in her shinobi career. _She is Orochimaru's student, so it makes sense_, the thought to himself.

Minato took his student from Anko as soon as they entered the room. The winner ran to her team members for a quick moment of praise from her sensei. Her smile brightened from his few enlightening words, making her fill with glee. Her eyes flickered over to Soi, but she didn't move. Orochimaru was her everything and when he was around, she didn't do anything without his say so. "Go on," he said smoothly.

Anko didn't miss a beat as she dashed over to her closest friend and enveloped her in a hug. "I won!"

"I know, silly dork," Soi replied as she hugged back. The two girls giggled like school children until Jiro's voice broke their energized spirits.

"Kakashi and Guy, you're up next." The two girls tore apart from each other as they stared wide-eyed, open mouthed at the man.

Soi looked over to Kakashi for any inclination as to what could possibly be going through his mind. On the outside he looked as calm as ever, but she knew better. They locked eyes with each other for the briefest of seconds before he headed for the door. In those few moments, she saw all the pain he was in. Not only was he still upset from their argument, but now he had to fight his best friend for a spot at the finals.

Guy also seemed dejected. Going into the exams, none of them believed that they would have to fight their friends, but just like Kakashi he exited the room without saying a word.

"This wont end well," Soi said with a groan.

Anko chuckled nervously as she looked through the glass, waiting for her friends to start. "Wont this be fun," she droned sarcastically.

The second round lasted much longer than the first. Guy lasted forty-five minutes before Kakashi stood as the victor. When the two genin returned to the observation area, they both looked equally distraught. Guy felt like a loser and Kakashi felt horrible for having to fight against his comrade.

The winner glanced around the room, not looking at anything particular, but trying to keep from looking at anyone he knew. However, fate was not so kind. His dark eyes locked on to Soi's dark chocolate ones and he felt even worse. Soi's eyes were filled with worry and sympathy, two thing he didn't want or need at the moment. None the less, he did the only thing he knew would make him feel better. He silently made his way over to her side and let out a pent up, frustrated sigh. No matter what mood he was in, or her for that matter, he knew could on her to calm him. Simply being near her eased his nerves.

She wanted to hug him or give him some encouraging words, but nothing came to mind. Instead, she stood silent, looked down at the open arena, and hoped that he knew that she was there for him.

Jiro called two more names, but they escaped the notice of Soi and her friends. They were still processing what had just happened, but as the third round came to a close they were hit with another devastating blow. Genma and Asuma were up. Once again, Soi and the others were forced to watch two friends fright each other for a spot only one could have. But at the end of the hour-long fight, Asuma stood as the victor. As disappointed as he was for losing, Genma took his loss with pride. The joked and smiled as they made their way up to the observation deck.

Round five went by in a blur or at least that's what Soi though. She had been watching Asuma and Genma the entire time and was surprised when Jiro announced that the match was over. "Soi and Hikari are up next."

/\/\

AN: Miora, Anko's snake, is pronounced MEE-ORE-A. (ORE as in Ironore). Also, I'm sorry I didn't go through all the fights. I wanted to do the first (which I had to flip a coin for the order) and Soi's match. It was all random.


	20. Fight For Finals

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 17 – Fight For Finals

Soi's POV  
At first I didn't hear my name being called. I was still silently fuming over Kakashi, Guy, Genma, and Asuma. It wasn't until Anko gave me a violent shove towards the door did I realize what was happening. "Go kick some butt, Destroyer!"

I looked over my shoulder to see her grinning at me like a mad woman. Seeing her ever enthusiastic face brought be back to my happy place and out of the gloom. When I turned back around I noticed some other genin whispering amongst themselves. At first I didn't understand what they were whispering about, but when a few started backing away from me is when I finally got it. The ones who were keeping a good distance away from me were the ones that were in other classes at the academy and who had only heard rumors of me, but never saw me. Either way, I didn't let it get to me. Instead, I absorbed their stupidity and let it fuel my determination to win.

Waiting by the door, standing several feet away from Jiro, was my opponent. I knew she was a Hyuga by looking at her eyes. A wild rush washed over me as I looked at her. I always wanted to spar off with a Hyuga and I finally got my chance. As I passed Jiro, he whispered a low, "good luck," just for me to hear. As a proctor, he wasn't allowed to show favoritism, but as an uncle I could tell he was rooting for me.

Hikari looked annoyed as I walked up to her. As if fighting me was the lowest point in her life. Well, I was determined to make this match unforgettable for her.

/\/\

Soi and Hikari entered the training room in silence. One was psyching herself up for an entertaining match while the other silently prayed that her opponent wouldn't put up much of a fight so she could leave. The girls took their positions and waited for instructions.

Shig looked between the two girls for a brief moment before her eyes locked with Soi. At first, Soi didn't think much of the woman except that she was just another proctor, but it wasn't until she got a good look at her did she mentally slap herself for not realizing it earlier. Soi looked up to the observatory and gave her uncle a knowing smirk. She pointed to Shig and her smirk turned into a wicked grin.

For the past several weeks, Soi and a few other Catsuko's noticed that Jiro had been distant. One night, Soi and Anko followed him. They ended up at a small bar, which they were not allowed to go in of course, but through the tinted windows they saw Jiro with an unrecognizable woman. When Jiro had returned home that night, his two stalkers confronted him about the woman. He denied it of course, not wanting to reveal his fairly new relationship with his family just yet, but the damage had been done. He knew he had been caught and at some point Soi and Anko would tell the others and he would be bombarded with question, but they never came. Based on the characteristics Soi had gather from that night, she concluded that the woman standing in the room with her was the same woman Jiro was with that night.

Jiro immediately dropped his head and looked away. Soi's smile grew wider as she looked over at Anko. The snake summoner gave her friend a confused look before looking at Jiro then to the woman on the field. Shig, who looked completely lost, stood their confused, which made the situation all the more funny for Anko. The young genin busted out into a fit of laughter, earning her the attention from everyone in the observatory.

"Anko, what are you doing," Orochimaru asked in a hushed, but stern tone at his students actions.

"I'm sorry, sensei," she said as she tried to calm herself. She looked over at Jiro, whose head was still down. Knowing that she had power of him, any kind of power, was amazing. She had gotten him to buy her a new set of kunai and other equipment in exchange for her silence. Now that she knew the name and appearance of the woman, she was thinking about what else she could get from him.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
"Are you ready to start or are you going to continue to waste my time," Hikari asked in a smug tone.

I turned away from the glass and looked back at the pale-eyed girl and rolled my eyes. She looked thoroughly annoyed, but I didn't care. "I'm good to go."

We both looked at Shig, silently asking her to allow us to begin.

I had heard that Hyuga's are close range fighters, so when Hikari jumped to the other side of the room I was a little perplexed. To top my confusion, I didn't know that they used nature based justus' either. I charged her as she formed her hand seals, but my legs were caught by a large water tentacle. It started at my feet and moved up towards my waist. Before it reached my midsection I used my chakra to break through the water. What little effort I used made the tentacle explode into thousands of tiny water droplets.

Hikari took the opportunity to attack as I struggled for my freedom. Her open palms came flying towards my chest and I just barely had time to dodge. Her movements were as fast and precise as Guy's. She left me little room to country and almost less room to dodge. I was being forced back to the open pool of water, which I'm sure she was planning on letting me fall into, but I had other ideas.

Her attacks became more vicious the closer I got to the pool and she had successfully hit me several times. I saw shocked and rather upset for allowing myself to be hit five times in a row. I had grown accustom to being hit only once before having my enemy fall to the ground in pain, but she was moving so fast that I didn't have time to activate my kekkei genkai before she hit.

After the fifth hit, I decided to do the only think I could think of. My initial plan was to match her movement and activate my technique right before impact, but she was making me desperate. Instead, I just kept it on all over my body. That way she would be hit with a blast of pain no matter where she it.

When she hit me a sixth and final time, the battle turned in my favor. She stopped her barrage and held her now broken hand close to her chest. I could visible see some of the bone being angled in ways that they shouldn't be and the sight of my handy work gave me a smug sense of pride.

Ignoring the fact that I now had ripped clothes from leaving my technique on, I started on my assault, which I was sure was going to be quick since she was so badly hurt, but Hikari was putting up a good fight.

"You can stop, you know," I said I tried to my best to hit her, but my fists only collided with are.

"No," she practically growled."

"You only have one useful hand. You can't win this."

"Yes I can!"

Her drive and determination to win was admirable, but now wasn't the time to put up a front. Even if by some miracle she won, there was no way she would last in the finals. Hands were essential in the shinobi world and she was currently lacking in that department.

Since hitting her with my fists wasn't getting me anywhere, I opted for a different approach. I jumped back and landed on the water, giving us a good separation of ten feet. I took out six kunai, three in each hand, and charged them with my wind chakra. A thin blue layer swirled around as I measure just how much chakra I was going to use. Instead of being thin and sharp like I was taught, I formed it to be thick and heavy. That way when it collided with the intended target, it would leave a hole in the ground instead of a small sliver.

Hikari watched me intently as I readied my attack. Her body went stiff as I threw my kunai. As the sharp blades left my hands, I counted to five before following after them. She dodged the blades, as I expected she would, but jumping up into the air. The stone floor cracked in several spots when the wind chakra struck with it, turning the ground below her into rubble.

While she was in the air I made jumped behind her to hide in her blind spot. I grabbed both her ankles and flung her two the floor. She let out an "umph" sound as she landed on her wounded hand before she made several loud groans of displeasure. I had used my technique when I grabbed her legs to ensure that she wouldn't get up again.

She screamed in pain and I instantly felt guilty for what I had done. Although we were competing for a spot in the finals, she was a Konoha shinobi and I might have just ruined any chance of her become a better ninja.

"I'm sorry," I said as I waved over the proctors. I bent down to her level as I waited for them to come over. "I went too far." I put my hands on her back to help turn her over, but she hit me in the face with her good arm.

"Don't touch me!"

Shig pulled me away from Hikari as the other proctors and medic-nin looked after her. I looked over my shoulder to see what was happening with Hikari, but all I heard was muffled screams.

When I made it back up to the observatory, everyone except my close friends made sure to keep clear distance from me. I had successfully proven the rumors true for those who didn't know me personally. I was a dangerous person and I could do terrible things.

"I knew you'd make it to the finals," Anko half yelled as she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Thanks, Anko" but my voice didn't sound like my own when I replied. It sounded much sadder than I intended it to be. I'm a competitive person, there is no denying that, but I didn't think my drive to win would lead me to hurting someone who would potentially fight for the same village I live in.

The two of us moved over to where my teams were waiting for us and I was greeted two more loving embrace. Ichirou was all smiles, as usual, and Kouki was equally as encourage. They congratulated me, but I didn't feel like I earned the praise. I was split between if I should pride in what I had just done or disgust. Part of me was overjoyed that I could cause so much damage and fear, but the other part of me was appalled that I could even think that way.

And then a made a terrible mistake. I looked up at Jiraiya for a sign of approval, anything, but all I saw was indifference. I could tell that he was happy that I won, but disappointed in me for what I had done. I had let him down, which means if I had done that to him, then Tsunade-sensei would be really angry if she was here.

The exam rolled on and the battles continued. Ichirou and Kouki won both of their matches, no surprise there. Unfortunately, Kurenai, Iruka, and Rin didn't make the cut, but they took their loss in good stride. Each vowed that they would win the next time the Chunin Exams rolled around.

Jiro wrote a few more things on his clipboard before letting out an exasperated breath and making his final announcement for the day. "The final exam will be tomorrow at the outdoor arena. The matches will start at 8am sharp. If you're not there by 7:45am for roll call, don't bother showing up." People started filing out of the room, one team after another, but I was the only one asked to stay. "Wait a moment, Soi."

_Oh, Kami. I'm in trouble._

I told Kouki and Ichirou that I would meet up with them later before walking over to my uncle. It was rare for me to get in trouble with my family, but that look Jiro was giving didn't sit well with my nerves. "Well, that was…I doubt Jiraiya encourages such overkill."

"No," I said, as I looked at the floor, completely ashamed of myself. "He doesn't."

"Then why did you go that far? She may never regain proper control of her body." I didn't answer, I couldn't. "This might have been a battle, but you took it too far. All you had to do was secure a spot in the finals, not leave her on deaths door." I still didn't say anything. There wasn't anything I could say. I already felt horrible for what I had done, having him scold me for it only made me feel worse.

When I didn't reply a second time, Jiro let out a sigh of defeat and placed a gentle hand on my head. "Go home and get some rest. You'll need it."

I left the room as quickly as I could and headed for the main exit. There were ANBU scattered all throughout the building, most likely to monitor the exam participants and to make sure we didn't go wondering. A few murmured to themselves as I walk by, but I just ignored them.

When I got home I immediately went to my room and stayed there until dinner. I summoned my cats and told them everything. I knew that they wouldn't judge me, at least too harshly, and it felt good to get all the pain off my chest.

Saia laid along the head of my bed, on top of the pillows. I laid long was and rested my head on her stomach. Kai sat on top of my chest while Yuuka laid stretched out next to me. Chihiro and Nanan were on the floor next to the bed. My bed was large, but not big enough to fit all of us.

Despite my feelings, Nana and Chihiro thought I hadn't done enough. "You should've killed her," the fearless puma said. "The earlier you establish your dominance, the better. Who care if the other's fear you."

Yuuka smacked the huntress in the face with her tail and growled. "She cannot go hurt people without any justification. She didn't have to go that far." The lioness turned to me and placed a large paw on my hand. "Not that I'm saying I'm not proud of you for winning."

"I know what you mean, Yuuka," I said I gave her a half smile. "Alright, Kitty Girl, you've gotta get up." Kai hopped off my chest and sat next to me. I sat up, leaned over Yuuka, and took out a notepad and pen from my nightstand drawer. I crossed my legs and set to work.

It had been a few weeks since I last sent my dad and Tsunade-sensei a letter. Each was more or less identical, the only thing I changed were their names. I told them about what had happened so far in the exam and didn't sugar coat a thing. I was as detailed as possible when it came to my mixed feelings about what I had done to Hikari.

Dinner that night was just as uncomfortable as the conversation Jiro and I had. I told everyone what had happened and it sparked an argument between everyone. Mom and Obaa-san were disappointed, to say the least, but Chiasa and Umeko were stuck on the fact that I had passed.

Umeko wrapped an arm around me, almost making me choke on my doodles as she pulled me close. "You don't have anything to feel bad about. Both of you are shinobi and chose this lifestyle. You knew what the consequences of this life."

Mom tossed a chopstick in Umeko's direction. It would've hit her in the face had I not caught it before it reached her forehead. "Just because they are shinobi doesn't mean she had to go as far as she did. She really hurt that girl."

Once again, they were talking as if I wasn't there, which drove me up the wall. It had gone on for about twenty minutes and then I called it quits. I excused myself from the dinner table, picked up Manabu, took Tashina's hand, and exited the room. My mother made it a point to never have an argument around me when I was younger and I was extending the same courteous to the kids. If everyone wanted argue about what I had done, that's fine, but they weren't going to do it in front of the kids.

"Where are we going," Tashina asked as I escorted her up the stairs.

"It's bath time," I said in the perkiest voice I could muster. "You have noodles all over you and Manabu is just as filthy." Today was Jun's turn to feed Manabu during dinner. My little brother was definitely a messy little guy. He had thrown up that nasty baby formula a few times, getting it all over his cloths.

The second I said, "bath," Tashina had sprinted down the hall and into the bathroom. She was already half naked by the time I had gotten there. She loved taking bath because it gave her a chance to pretend to be a mermaid.

"Come on," she order while stomping her feet.

"Hold on, bossy britches." I maneuvered Manabu to rest in one arm as I bent down to turn the warm water on for Tashina. Once it was to my liking I plugged the drain and ushered for her to get in.

"What about my toys?"

"Wait a minute" I half groaned. I bent down and took out Manabu's dark blue baby bath and set it in the sink before heading to the hall and taking out the small box of bath toys. "Here you go, my lady." Tashina took the box and jumped in the tub, making some of the water spill out of the tub.

I went back to the closet and grabbed some towels and Manabu's bath bucket. It was full of washcloths, soaps, and others stuff for him. When I came back into the room, Tashina had dumped almost half of her liquid bubbles into the tub, making it so I couldn't see the water. "That's enough, little woman," I said as I bent down and splashed her. She giggled and handed me the bottle before taking out some of her dolls and started making them swim with her.

The next thing to do was to undress Manabu. I laid him on the fuzzy bathmat next to the tub and started to take his cloths off. He was kicking and giggling as I made face and talked to him in my baby voice. "You are such a happy baby, aren't you," I cooed.

Giving him a bath would've been easier if I hadn't needed to tell Tashina multiple times to wash herself before the water got cold. It also would've helped I Manabu hadn't splashed soap in my eyes, but I eventually got them both washed and ready for bed.

Tashina was easy to put down. She was like the walking dead by the time she was out of the bath. I offered my assistance to help her put on her pink nightgown, but she dismissed me as always. I gave her a kiss goodnight and tucked her in before leaving her to her dreams.

"Now it is your turn, bud." Lucky for me, he was also half out of his mind. I put him in a striped green onesie and placed him in his crib. I turned on star and moon nightlight and his baby monitor before heading to take a quick shower.

After my shower I went directly to bed. I don't bother to say goodnight to anyone because I didn't want to hear what they had to say. I heard enough during dinner and didn't want to hear any more.

When I got to my room, Kai was the only cat left. The other girls vanished and went back to wherever it is they came from. She was asleep on my pillows, looking like the adorable fluff ball I knew her to be. I crawled under the covers and placed my head next to her small body. The soft sounds of her breathing were the last thing I heard before falling asleep.


	21. Exams Interrupted

AN: Two chapters in one week!? Unheard of, I know. Don't get use to it. I've only written two more chapters and have to write a few more before updating again, but I figured you guys deserved this for putting up with my slow response to updates.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing **

Chapter 18 – Exams Interrupted

Today was the day of the finals and all participants were on edge. The bleachers of the outside arena were filled judges, team leaders, families, friends, and all types of other specters. There were twelve genin awaiting instruction and for eight o'clock to roll around.

After roll call, Jiro stood be the entrance to the observing area on the left side of the arena. He was talking with a few other jounin before taking a quick glance at his watch, excusing himself from the conversation, and gather the attention of the riled up genin.

"Alright everyone, quiet down. First, I'd like to congratulate all of you for making it to the finals. You should all give yourselves a pat on the back." Several of the young faces before smiled at his praise, others made a silly comment, and some did nothing. "Second, I want to talk about the rules of this test. It is going to be a lot like the semi-finals. You will be assigned an opponent and you must do your best in order to beat them, but there is a catch. If you win, you move on to the second round. Since there is twelve of you, six of you will be moving on. Three will move on to round two, and there will be a three-man fight during round three. The more battles you win, the better your chances are at passing. Judging will consist of my self, the four jounin standing behind me, the four other shinobi waiting in the stands. We will be looking for proper technique on taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu if you use it, the speed in which you carry out your attacks, and provision."

The second half of his speech fell on deaf ears, mostly anyway. Everyone was excited to know that they would have the chance to show off their skills more than once.

"The rules remain the same. Use any technique you like and no killing." His eyes landed directly on Soi, making her flinch under his gaze. After what happened the previous night and how obviously upset she was during dinner, he knew she wasn't going to take it nearly as far as she did before. "Understand that even though you have made it this far, there are no guarantee that all of you will become chunin. Even if you make it to the final round, the judges may decide not to pass you. The same goes to for if you only last one round, the judges might pass you."

An unknown shinobi walked up to Jiro and handed him a clipboard with some papers on it. Jiro thanked the man before looking the documents in his hands.

"I have here the order of the first round. The second and third will be arranged accordingly after the first six matches. First up is Tanzin Kouki and Amor Lita."

Everyone was pumped for the first round to begin. Asuma cheered for Lita, who was the only other member of Team Sorin to make it to the finals, while Soi and Ichirou cheered for Kouki. The two exchanged some batter that no one could hear before the battle finally began.

The first round matches took a total of two hours, a record considering there six matches. Some ended more quickly than other, but the timing was still impressive. Kouki had passed his fight with flying colors as did Asuma, Soi, Kakashi, Anko, and fifth person that none of the others had heard of.

A boy named Korisaku Yuuki had managed to pull of a win against Ichirou, but barely. He had a kekkei genkai ability over sound, something that the others had not seen before. He could create high pitched frequencies with his voice and can even create sonic vibrations with his hands. Needless to say, the fight was remarkable to watch, but Yuuki won in the end.

All of the losers, those who weren't too badly hurt and had to go to the hospital, were allowed to stay in the dugout, which all but a few did. There was a half hour intermission to give the fighters a chance to rest and recover what strength they had left. Those thirty minutes seemed to tick by quickly, but it eventually came time for the second round.

"First up for the second round is Tanzin Kouki-"

"Yes," the violet-eyed boy said under his breath. Soi turned to give him a bright smile, one that he returned eagerly.

"And Hatake Kakashi."

Soi's bright smile dropped instantly, her face becoming void of all emotion. Her gaze fixed on her uncle. She dare not look at Kouki or Kakashi.

"Boys. Please take your places on the field. You're match will begin shortly."

Without hesitation Kouki leaned over and gave Soi a kiss on the cheek. It was so light that it took her brain a minute to register what he had done. She turned to him, still floored, and whispered, "good luck," as he walked away from her.

In order to get to the exit Kakashi had to walk past her. He had no intention of saying anything, but she grabbed his had before he passed her. "Good luck," she said with a weak, half smile. She saw the corner of his lips twitch up ever so slightly, but he said nothing. He tried to walk past her again, but she wouldn't let him go. His black eyes gave her a questionable look, which she answered by leaning in and said, "please don't kill each other. I love you both and want you alive."

"That's up to him," he whispered back before jerking his arm away from her and exciting the watching area.

It was no secret to Soi or anyone who knew them that this fight was going to be personal. Soi feared for both their safety's, knowing that the fight to come was going to be brutal.

Soi walked up to her uncle, who was currently speaking to another jounin, but she ignored the other man and butted into their conversation. "Are you crazy," she hissed under her breath. "You know they hate each other." A mixture of anger and fear were evident in her eyes as she spoke harshly.

"I didn't make the list and even if I did, what does it matter?"

"Are you kidding me? They're going to kill each other."

"Someone will step in before things get too far out of hand."

"They better, because so help me…," her words escaped her as she though of a threat, but came up with nothing. She was too worried about the storm that was about to come up with a witty comeback.

"They'll be fine, Soi. I love them too and I won't let anything bad happen to them." He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly, giving her some reassurance, before spinning her around and lightly pushing her back towards the group of fighters.

Soi fumed silently as she made her way back to the group. She went to stand by Ichirou, who took her hand lightly and squeezed it. "It's going to be ok," he said reassuringly as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Kouki will win for sure."

The explosive kunoichi had to stifle a groan at he brother's comment. No matter what the outcome, she would be in a lose-lose situation. She loved the two combatants equally and wished they both could win, but knew one of them was about to fail. All she could do was pray that they would both put up a good fight so the two of them could become chunin. That was the closest thing to a win-win scenario that she could come up with.

Shig waited in the middle of the field as the two fighters took center stage. Kouki had on an amused, yet smug smile while Kakashi's composure remained normal. Neither of them said anything, but they didn't need to. They knew what this fight was all about. The two young men wanted to become chunin desperately, but it was also more than that.

It was about her. It was about the girl who had made a permanent home in their hearts. Both believing that they are better for her than the other. This fight had been coming for a long time and now they finally got the chance to express just how much they hate each other.

The brown haired woman looked between the two boys. She could practically feel the anger and anticipation coming off of them. "Once I give the signal, the two of you are allowed to begin. Understood?" Both of the boys nodded, neither saying anything. Shig looked into the crowed at the judges and they gave her the sign to continue. She then looked to the dugout and got a similar sign from Jiro. "Begin."

Shig jumped out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by razor sharp kunai. The blades flew through the air and zoomed passed their intended targets. Kouki and Kakashi had the same idea and threw their blades at each other with deadly accuracy. The boys dodged them effortlessly while readying themselves for the next attack.

Kakashi took out the blade on his back before charging at his opponent. His blade hit the air as Kouki dodged every strike. Their battle continued like that for a solid fifteen minutes. Kakashi gave no room for counter attack and Kouki had barely enough time to dodge.

For every second of those fifteen minutes, Soi's entire body was standing on pins and needles. She was waiting to see Kouki's body sliced to pieces and blood spilling onto the dirt. Kakashi was moving so fast that she was sure he would hit Kouki at any moment. Her eyes watched every movement, every muscle in their body as they danced around the field.

The tables turned in Kouki's favor when he small the smallest opening in Kakashi's attack. As Kakashi' thrust his blade down, almost grazing Kouki's shoulder. The brunet moved to the right slightly to Kakashi's left, grabbed his forearm, pulled hard enough so Kakashi would lose his balance, and punched the silver haired boy in the gut. The blow nearly winded the sword wielder, which gave Kouki enough time to follow through with the second plan of his attack.

Still holding Kakashi's arm, Kouki pulled harder and flipped Kakashi onto his back. He then squatted over Kakashi's back, took out a kunai, and thrust it forward. As the blade came down and hit its target, the blood and scream of pain that Kouki intended to hear never came. Instead, he was met with a puff of white smoke.

Kouki sat stunned for a minute, contemplating what had happened, but he wasn't given long to think. A long silver blade suddenly appeared next to his throat.

"Shadow clones can be useful when used appropriately," he said in a low, grim voice. He stole a quick glance at the waiting area where the other fighters stood. Soi was obviously torn and scared for them both, as she should be. "Give up. Don't make this any harder on her."

Kouki clenched his teeth, a deep and angry growl erupting from his throat. Not caring about the pain, he grabbed the blade and yanked it out of Kakashi's grasp. The blade sliced his palms, causing him to wince slightly. Blood dripped down the sword before the tossed it aside. Kouki shot up off of the ground while Kakashi went to retrieve his sword.

While Kakashi's back was turned Kouki took out two more kunai, one in each hand. His mind raced with a trick Soi often used in battle and decided to follow her example. He threw his weapons at Kakashi, but kept them aimed low so they would land near his feet. Kakashi jumped in the air to avoid being hit, as Kouki expected he would, the brunet to the opportunity to strike while in the air.

Kouki landed a powerful kick to Kakashi's midsection, knocking the wind out of him. As gravity started pulling them back down to Earth, Kouki continued his barrage until Kakashi hit the ground with a thud.

From the waiting area, Soi squeezed Ichirou's hand tightly while tilting her head back to look at the ceiling. She had never been so anxious and scared in her life. Time and again she had survived life threatening situation, but none of her training prepared her for this.

"Kakashi's done for now," Ichirou said with a slight giggle. Soi snapped her head back just in time to see multiple Kakashi's using his signature lightning attack. During those few seconds of distraction, she had missed Kakashi's escape from Kouki and when he summoned shadow clones. "Kouki's going to bounce the lightning back, just watch!"

Soi's brows knitted in confusion. Kakashi knew about Kouki's ability and she definitely knew that Kakashi wasn't stupid, so he had to have a plan.

There were four lightning charged Kakashi's charging Kouki from all sides. Kouki had a smug smile on his face and his arms out, waiting for the fake Kakashi's to come close enough to repel the attack. What he didn't notice was that the original Kakashi had jumped in the air after creating his clones, high enough to time his attack perfectly.

Lightning bounced off of Kouki's hands and were sent back to their users. When all four clones had vanished, Kouki stood stunned and confused. He had expected at least on of them to be the real Kakashi. _Where is he,_ he thought to himself, but it was too late.

With the Chidori in hand the real Kakashi fell from the sky and sent a bolt of lightning through his target's body. Kouki screamed in pain from the contact, but past out when his body and mind couldn't keep up with the pain. His body fell to the ground and it stayed there, unmoving. Kakashi stood next to him, looking down at the unconscious boy beside him before looking into the waiting area.

Shig jumped onto the field from her place in the stands and announce the winner. The crowed erupted in applause, but Kakashi couldn't have cared less. He won his second match, but at the cost of emotional heartbreak for the one person he treasured most.

As he walked into the dugout, medics came onto the field to help Kouki. The other fighters, except Ichirou who was obviously upset by the turn of events, congratulated him on his win, but the only one that meant anything to him was her approval.

When he stood before her, just feet apart, she looked at him with a sad smile. "Congratulations," she said softly as she wrapped his arms around his neck and gently pulled him into a hug as she made sure to mind any cuts or bruises he might have. "I'm so proud of you."

Kakashi didn't hug her back only because he didn't want to make her feel worse. He knew that this had to be killing her inside. Having to put a front and who support for the winner, no matter who it would've been, when she was obviously conflicted about what to say or do. Instead he pulled back from her slowly and looked into her sad dark brown pools. "You don't have to say it."

"Yes I do. I am happy you won and I would be just as happy if Kouki had won. You both fought hard, but you deserve this win. You won fair and square. Don't let me damper your victory."

Ichirou watched the scene before him play out and felt nothing but disgust. So much so that he could feel a dark, sadistic emotion boiling up inside him. It wasn't hate, Ichirou was more or less incapable of hating anyone, but Kakashi was clearly on his "not so friendly" list. He couldn't understand why Soi would be happy for him. Kakashi was her friend, she knew that, but Kouki was her teammate and brother. She should be supporting Kouki, not Kakashi.

Soi's attention was drawn to movement behind Kakashi. The medics were carrying Kouki in on a stretcher. She rushed to his side as they placed him on one of the long medical tables they set up in the back of the room. It pained Kakashi deeply to see her so attentive to his enemy, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could stop their friendship or break the feelings she had for him.

"Is he going to be ok," Soi asked, her voice slightly shaky as she watched the medics give him a check up. After a few minutes of silence they confirmed that he would be fine and that all he needed was rest. She let out a sigh of relief and sat next to him once the medics cleared out. "I'm proud of you," she whispered to the unconscious boy before her.

Now that she was close to him, she noticed all the cuts and bruises in full detail. She had seen him look worse on multiple occasions, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt to see him in such a condition.

"Sarutobi Asuma and Mouki Soi are up next." Soi looked over her shoulder when she heard her name being called. Jiro had a sad face. Once again he was delivering unpleasant news. She had watched her friends fight each other several times, but now it was her turn.

Asuma, furious that he once again had to fight someone he cared about, put on a fake smile and looked over at his friend. He walked over to her, extended a hand, and said, "ladies first." Soi smiled up at him weakly and took the offered hand. They quickly exited the hut, wanting to get the fight over with as soon as possible. Once they were in the middle of the arena Asuma let her go and allowed her to take her space.

Once she was far enough way, Soi's weak smile turned a little bit more into her normal smile. "Don't take it easy on me. I want a challenge, not some five minute, play time…thing."

Asuma laughed lightly at her attempt to lighten the mood. "I wouldn't dream of it. I'm more afraid of what you'd do to me if I did."

"As you should be." The two friends smiled at each other, this time more warmly than before, as they waited for the signal to start.

Shig did routine of checking to make sure the fighters and judges were ready before allowing the battle to begin. Asuma's chakra blades were in hand in a second while Soi took out two kunai. The like minded shinobi charged their weapons with their wind chakra before starting their attack.

Soi threw one kunai at Asuma, which he dodged by jumping into the air. A small crater formed where the blade had dug into the ground. She took out more kunai and kept repeating the attack as she waited for him to get tired.

However, Asuma had used the same trick himself and saw through her trick. He continued to dodge her attacks, but eventually made his way close to her. His hands flew together rhythmically as the formed hand signals for a fire jutsu.

_I didn't know he learned how to use fire,_ Soi thought as she continued her assault, but then she remembered that there was much she hadn't known about her friends. She didn't get the chance to see them as much, so of course they learned some things that she hadn't yet known about.

A thick sheet of gray ash erupted from Asuma's mouth and headed straight for her. She jumped back to what she thought was a safe distance, but she wasn't prepared for the smoke to explode. The heat and light from the flames caused her to pause for a moment in order to protect her exposed skin from the fire. During that hesitation Asuma used the time he was given to strike.

Soi regained her ground just in time to dodge a wind infused blade from slicing her face. Her body bent back on instinct in order to save itself from harm. Once her mind had returned to normal, she followed her body's lead and did a few back flips in order to gain some distance.

Asuma charged while she did her flips, making sure to give her as little room as possible. When she stood back up she was met with another close blow. She dodged every attack, but decided to go on the offense once she saw the pattern in his punchers. Her hands grasped onto his right arm and she flipped him over his shoulder. He hit the ground with a thud and while keeping one hand on his arm, she released her other hand to do what was going to be her finishing move.

She fully intended to put her hand on Asuma's chest and zap him hard enough to knock him out, but a loud and obnoxious siren stopped her in mid strike. She and Asuma exchanged confused glances as to what the sound could mean. The spectators in the stands groaned and covered their ears at the sound and almost everyone looked to each other for some kind of hit as to what was going on.

In the blink of an eye Jiro, Shig, and two unidentified shinobi had appeared on the battle ground only a few feet from Soi and Asuma were. "That's enough, you two. I'm sorry, but the exams are cancelled."

"What," Soi and Asuma said in perfect sync. Their voices mimicked each other in confusion and annoyance.

"That sound means something has happened and that all personnel is to report to the Hokage." Asuma and Soi looked back at each other again, but said nothing. Soi helped her friend stand up and they both brushed off the dirt that had covered them from their brief fight. "You two need to head to the Hokage's building, now."

By the tone in Jiro's voice the two young fighters knew this wasn't a request. Something was happening and they were about to find out what.

/\/\

AN: I know I didn't go into depth with Soi and Asuma's fight, but I figured that Kouki and Kakashi's would be more interesting. That fight had been coming for a long time.

And please don't forget to leave comments. Good ones, bad ones, random one, any questions? Leave something so I know I should continue the story.


	22. Wartimes

AN: One more chapter this week. Don't forget to leave comments. I have a lot of stuff to do and this is my hobby, but if not enough people like this than I'll think of something else to do in my free time. Any comments will help, good or bad.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 19 – Wartimes

Getting Kouki to wake up from him electrified sleep was harder that Soi and Ichirou had originally anticipated, but the beloved brother finally came around. The medics did a good job cleaning and healing his wounds, but his pride and ego were far from being ok.

"Can you walk," Soi asked as she and Ichirou helped him up off the table.

Kouki groaned from the pain, but nodded his head. He threw his legs of the side of the table and went to stand up, but his legs almost gave out from under him. Soi and Ichirou moved closer to steady him, but he simply pushed them away. "I've got it," he said harshly.

The blond and the curly haired girl exchanged worried looks. Kouki was obviously upset, which meant that the next few days with him were going to be anything but pleasant.

"Kouki, the Hokage stopped the exam and asked everyone to meet at the Hokage's Tower. We have to leave right now," Ichirou said as he extended another hand to help support his friend. "Let us help you-"

With force neither Soi nor Ichirou believed Kouki had left, he injured boy swatted at the extended hand before pushing off of the table and staggering to the exit. "Don't touch me, Ichirou! I can walk by myself." His two friends quickly followed behind him, watching his every movement and waiting to support him when needed.

/\/\

Everyone was confused when the Hokage called an end to the exam and asked for all of the shinobi in the village to go to the Hokage's Tower. All of the village's shinobi stood at attention, in perfectly formed rows as they waited for instructions.

The Hokage, who stood at the head of the room with Jiraiya and Orochimaru by his side, looked stoic. His face was unreadable, but to those who knew him best could read the worry in his eyes. "This morning, Iwagakure announced war upon us." The cramped roomed started to fill with whispers as the shinobi talked amongst themselves, but the Hokage raised his hand to silence his soldiers. "For many of you, this is not a surprise. There have been hints that this was going to happen and the time to defend our home as come. Because we are on the brink of what I am sure is going to be a long and bloody battle, I am promoting all currently chunin to jounin and all the genin who made it to the last round of the Chunin Exams to chunin."

Once again, the room came alive with the shocked voices of the village's guardians. Team Tsunade exchanged mischievous grins briefly before Soi's eyes scanned the room for her silver haired friend. She found him, three rows up and slightly to the right of her. Her grin faded as she took in his appearance. The young man's body had grown stiff, strong fists clenched at his sides. He was completely focused on the Hokage and his words. The fact that he was just made a chunin was the farthest thought from his mind.

"I know this may seem a bit extreme to all of you, but I believe it is for the best. All of you have outstanding capabilities and leadership qualities that will pull us through our troubled times." After taking a quick glance at his two ex-students at his side, the Hokage proceeded to order that all teams were to remain intact then handed out his orders.

Team Tsunade was to intercept a message from Iwa to Kusagakure as soon as possible. The three newly promoted chunin rolled their eyes in unison. They were hoping that they would get a much more challenging mission, but they didn't speak up about it. As the Hokage gave more order, Soi took particular interest in what they types of missions her friends would be on. Team Jiro and Team Orochimaru were going on an infiltrations mission, Team Sorin and Team Minato were to escort a caravan of civilians from a small village they laid in between Iwa and Konoha, to safety before anything too dangerous happened.

When all the teams were dismissed, Soi lost track of her friends in the crowed. Everyone was rushing around to locate their teammates and start their missions that there was no time for goodbyes.

"Come on Soi," Kouki said as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. She didn't resist as he pulled her along, but she didn't stop looking for her friends either. Just before she was yanked out the door, she caught the dark eyes of the silver haired boy. His face was void of all emotion, but she could see in his eyes the words that he wanted to say. Had they had time, they would've said a proper goodbye. She would've hugged him and said good luck while he told her to always be on alert and to do her best, but they didn't need words to get their farewell across to each other.

In the seconds before she disappeared out of the room, she gave him a reassuring smile and one final wave goodbye. She wanted nothing more than to give him the goodbye they both deserved, but she was willing to take what she could get. And in that instant, that last second she got to see him, reality hit with a violent force. This might be the last time she ever got to see him, the rest of their friends, or her family.

The blood in her veins turned to liquid ice and time began to slow as she absorbed what was happening. She was now a soldier in a war and there was no turning back. The odds of her and her friends dying were too high for her to calculate and she didn't want to. As the cogs in her head started turning, so did her mood. Her body became stiff, a cloak of authority wrapping itself around her.

The hand that held hers tightened as the two chunin walked through the crowded hallways and out of the building. Even when they were outside, the boy was reluctant to let go of her hand. "Where is Jiraiya-sense?"

"He'll meet us at the gate," Soi said. She slipped her hand out of Kouki's grip and started home. "Go pack and take a quick shower. We're leaving immediately." The tone in her voice was that of a General. She still kept her usual sweetness, but there was a sense of authority along with it. Even in the harshest of missions, she had not spoken to her teammates in such a manner, but that was then and this was now. They were at war, a fact that did not escape her. Now was not the type for smiles and playfulness. They had to be serious and alert at all times.

"How do you know that's where he'll be," Kouki asks, slightly taken back by her change in persona.

"Because that's where he always meets us after we're given a mission," she calls over her shoulder. The two boys exchanged confused glances before heading home. They had learned from past experiences that when Soi decided to be serious or angry, it was a terrible idea to try and change her mind about whatever it was she decided to do. Not to say that they never tried, but it often didn't end well for them.

Jiraiya, who was partly hidden by the crowed, watched the entire conversation unfold before him. He smirked to himself as he watched Soi take charge of the situation and got the ball rolling. _That's my girl_, he thought proudly before heading off to get ready for his upcoming mission.

/\/\

When Soi got home, she bypassed the questioning looks from her family and headed straight to her room. They had all been in the stands when the exams were terminated and weren't given any answer as to why they had ended early.

She ran to her room, took out some fresh clothes, and took the quickest shower of her life. The hot waters soothed her aching muscles as the enriching liquid cleared her body of blood and dirt.

When Soi emerged from the steaming bathroom, dressed and ready to start packing, she was met by a number of curious eyes. "Soi," Gina said as she, Jun, and Bunko entered the room. Bunko, who was holding her grandson in her arms, had to rearrange the way she was holding him because he was squirming too much. "Soi, what's going on? What happened to the exams?" They all looked annoyed and slightly worried. It wasn't like Soi to not tell them about her day, especially when it was something important.

Soi didn't look at them while she scrambled through her room looking for everything she need to stuff into her travel bag, but she didn't see the harm of telling them the truth. They would know soon enough anyway. "We're at war with Iwa," she said flatly.

Those five little words hung in the air for a moment as it took everyone a while to understand what she was talking about. "What," Gina and Bunko screeched in unison. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not sure how it started, but the Hokage needs us to-" Soi fell silent by the sound of Umeko, Jiro's mother, screaming at the top of her lungs. She was protest Jiro's leaving for war, a plea that he would ultimately ignore, as would she if her mother were to ask her to say. Soi found it funny that even though her family had no problem with shinobi, they hated the fact that two of the Catsuko's were ninja. They would rather have someone else protect the village instead of it having their family members do it.

Gina moved to sit on Soi's bed, completely bewildered by what was happening. "Soi, I don't…I mean…this can't be happening." She put her head in her hands and started to cry. Jun went to sit beside her, but Bunko was frozen on the spot. She couldn't move, could hardly breathe, and defiantly couldn't stop the tears that were freely flowing down her face. "You're not going," Gina yelled.

Soi took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, and then exhaled slowly. She knew where this conversation was going and wasn't looking forward to what was coming next. "I have to, mom."

Gina shot up from her seat, took the backpack Soi was putting her few belongings in, and through it on the ground. "I said you're not going! You're not leaving this house! I knew letting you become a shinobi was a bad idea. I should've never let Adatta have his way." Soi let out a long sigh before bending down to pick up the bag, but Gina kicked it away. "Don't touch that!"

The curly haired girl, who was doing everything in her power to keep calm, looked up at her mothers, then at her stepfather and grandmother, before looking back at the sobbing woman before her. She spoke as calmly and evenly as she could. Her mother's fear was justifiable, but so was her choice in leaving. "Mom, I understand that you're scared, I am too, but this is what being a shinobi is all about. I've been trained for this and I'll be-"

"Don't you dare say that you'll be fine! You're still a kid, Soi. Children are not supposed to fight wars."

"I know, but I can't help it. This is who I am and I don't know how to be anything other way to be."

Gina placed her hands on her daughter's face and looked her square in the eyes. She saw the love in her eyes that was always there. Love that the young girl had for everyone, but there was also the tiniest hint of fear, something that never suited her, and one final thing, excitement. It was the lesser emotion that frightened her. Her daughter, her baby, her everything, was going to fight not just for duty, but for pleasure. "You don't have to do this. You can stay here and do whatever you want. You like tea, so maybe you can open up a tea shop or-"

Soi took a step away from her mother so that they were not within range to touch each other. She shook her head no, slowly. "This is me, mom. It always has been. Being a shinobi is in my blood. This is all I can ever be. This is all I ever want to be." She moved passed her mother, who didn't even bother trying to stop her, and picked up her bag. "I'll come back. I always do."

She slung her back over her shoulder and went to her desk. Staring back at her were two small white envelopes with different addresses on them, no names. She picked them up and turned back to her mother, who was fighting the overwhelming urge to lock her child in the basement until she was old enough to marry. "Will you send these for me," she asks as she handed her mother the letters. Gina looked at Soi through tear filled eyes before slowly taking them. Soi smiled brightly up at her mother before wrapping her in her arms and give the woman a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, mom."

Gina wrapped her arms around the tall girl, her body trembling from the violent tears she wept. "I love you too, baby. Please, please come back to me."

Soi pulled away and gave her mother an entertained smirk. "Of course I will. You couldn't keep me away from this place if you tried," and with that, she stepped away from the woman who loved her most. She gave her stepfather and grandmother a goodbye hug and kiss before placing a soft kiss on her brother's forehead. Manabu had grown a lot in his first few months of life. He looked exactly like his mother, but had his father's long body. There was no doubt in her that he was going to grow up to be a giant in his own right.

Just as she was about to pass through her bedroom door, she stopped short. Soi had been so excited yet fearful for this mission, even though it wasn't as dangerous as she would have liked it to be, but there was something in her that made her hesitate. It was as if there as a string connected to her heart that prevented her from leaving. She turned around to see her family members sitting on her bed in a close huddle. All of them looked distraught, rightfully so, but the scene before her was enough to break her heart. She hated seeing people in pain, especially those she loved, but what made it worse was the thought that she was the cause of it.

"I love you," she whispered because her voice started to betray her. She left the moment the last word fell from her lips and head towards the front door. Ever step she took farther away, the more the realization dawned on her that she might never see her family again. There was never a certainty that she was coming back from any mission, but this one was different. This was the start of something much greater than herself and her team. This could be the moment she has to say goodbye to everything she knows, for good.

When she stepped out into the fresh, bright sunny air Jiro stood just outside the house. He had waited for her, something she hadn't expected him to do. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

"No worries?" Soi raised a delicate eyebrow at him as if to say, 'what do you think?' "Just asking." Soi rolled her eyes and locked her arm with his. They walked silently through the streets of Konoha until the came to a mutual stop. She had to go left to the Great Gate and he had to go right to the small bridge in the middle of the village. They unlinked arms and stared at each other intently. "Be careful, Soi. This isn't going to be like any mission you've had before."

"I know," she said flatly. She was still sad from the goodbye moment with her parents and she didn't want to have another.

Jiro placed his hand on her head and rubbed it until her hair was sticking out in every direction. He knew she hated it when people did this to her, but the outcome was always hilarious. She swatted his hand away and made a face to show her obvious displeasure. The tall man laughed loudly before starting on his way. "Come back in one piece," he yelled over his shoulder.

"You too. And look after my friends," she hollered back. She didn't want to watch him walk away from her, so she started running in the direction of the gate. Deep down, she liked say goodbye to him more than she did her mother. He knew how to keep things short and simple. Had her mother done that, then she wouldn't feel so sad.

By the time she reached the gate all of her team members were waiting for her. Seeing the three of them standing there irked her a bit. She was always the first to show up, rarely the second, but never dead last.

"Are all of you ready to go," Jiraiya asked as Soi came to a stop by his side. They all nodded yes, all eager to get started. "Alright, let's go." As they walked, the words that Jiraiya had written on paper moments before he left his home to meet up with his team came to mind. He wrote one final letter to Tsunade. It was filled with updates on her team, the team she should be leading, and what was about to come.

/\/\

It took Team 9 three days to catch up the Iwa squad that carried the important message that would never arrive at its destination. Although the newly appointed chunin were still a little sore from the exams, the adrenalin pumping through their body almost banished the pain.

Jiraiya and the others hid in the safety of the trees as the watched their targets stop for a quick break. Five shinobi, possible all jounin, stood by the side of a riverbank, filling up their water bottles.

"What's the plan," Ichirou whispered, his eyes never leaving the targets.

"You are going to use your Mind Transfer Jutsu and take over one of them. Soi, you're the fastest, so you're going to charge in," Jiraiya said.

Kouki's brows knitted together in confusion. "Charging in head first doesn't seem like the smartest idea."

"She's not going to go full out charge." The Toad Sage tore his eyes away from the targets and looked directly at his female student. "I want you to get close enough that they'll notice you, but far enough away that they can't get to you. Use just enough time for Ichirou to transfer his mind. Once he's in, the Kouki and I will be down to back you up."

Soi and Ichirou nodded in conformation. "We should call this Number Four," she said before quickly jumping down from the trees and springing forward.

The Iwa shinobi noticed her immediately, just as she had planned. They all took a defensive stance and readied their attacks. Three of them bombarded her with a rain of kunai while the remaining two formed hand signals as she charged, on for water and the other for lightning. The river behind them began to rise and a giant wave headed straight for her, followed by a large lightning strike. Soi dodged the kunai effortlessly, but the wave was to big escape.

While the enemy was distracted, Ichirou set to work on his job. He leaned against the body of the tree so his body had a place to rest safely while his mind flew through the air. The second his body went limp, Kouki and Jiraiya sprang into action. Jiraiya landed behind Soi, Kouki in front of her. He stretched out his hands to shield himself and his friends from the attack that was about to come. The wave and electric bolt lightly grazed the boy's hands before they were sent back to their owners.

The possessed Iwa jounin jumped out of the way and landed next to his Konoha comrades. "Couldn't you have waited until I got out of the way," Ichirou asked.

"I knew you would move."

Ichirou smirked at his friend before taking a kunai from the possessed shinobi's pouch. "Sure you did."

The massive wave and lightning bolt collided into each other, but missed their targets. The Iwa shinobi jumped out of the way before they could be struck. Two of them landed on the river and the other two landed back on the riverbank.

"Kenji, what are you doing," one of them yelled. He was looking directly at his possessed comrade, a mixture of confusion and anger in his eyes.

"I think he's talking to you, Ichirou," Soi said with a smirk. The boy chuckled happily in response.

The team broke apart and took on the remaining shinobi one-on-one. Jiraiya made sure to take the one who posed the most danger to his team, a fact that didn't escape the chunin's notice. They were all gunning for him, but their sensei beat them to it.

Soi's POV  
Jiraiya had his hand full with the leader of the group, which left us with the remaining three. That meant one for each of us, which didn't seem like a big deal.

The lightening user focused his attention on me. I figured between my wind, summons, and kekkei genkai that I could take him easy, but I was greatly mistaken. His speed was so quick and his movements so precise that I couldn't see his first attack coming. One second he was on the water, then a moment later he had me flying through the air.

He wore silver-brass knuckles on each hand, which hurt like hell on their own, but he charged them with his lighting attacks. Each punch the through at me was ten times more deadly with pure electricity dangling at the end of his fists. It was extremely hard for me to keep up with him. He gave me no room to counter and barely enough time to escape.

I could see the rest of my team in the distance. Everyone had their hands full, so there was no way to get help. I was on my own and in trouble.

We had been fighting for close to an hour and I was getting exhausted, but he hadn't even broken a sweat. As my body slowed, he was able to hit me as much as he wanted. Up until that point, he had only touched me once, but now he was having a field day.

After his forth successfully hit to my face, I started getting really angry. I thought back to my fight with Hikari and decided to replicate what I had done then, this time I wasn't going to stop with a broken arm.

As his fist came flying at me, I braced myself for his final hit. The metal from his brass- knuckles shattered into tiny bits of silver dust as it grazed my skin. Blood splattered all over the left side of my body as the bones in his arm ripped through the skin and shot stuck out through the flesh. Before he had time to take even half a step back I grabbed him by the throat and destroyed his windpipe. He fell to his knees before me coughing up blood while holding his mangle arm.

Unlike Hikari, I had no remorse for what I had done. He was my enemy, my true enemy, and I had to protect my village at all costs.

Without so much as a second glance I turned from him and went to help Ichirou. He would soon be dead due to lack of air and his lungs filling with blood. I didn't need to worry about him trying anything or going anywhere in his current condition. In a few short moments, he would be dead and his teammates were about to follow him.

/\/\  
Three Years Later

Soi's POV  
The steam that hung in the air made my bathroom feel like a sauna. I wiped away some of built up mist that clung to the big mirror on the wall and took a good look at myself. My hair clung to my naked skin, the very end extended down to the middle of my chest over the dark blue towel I had wrapped around myself. It sucks that when my hair grow, it gets tighter so it looks like it hardly grows at all. The only time you can tell that it has grown any is when it's damp. In twenty minutes it would go back to shoulder length. Kami, I hate my hair.

My arms were toned to near perfection from all the fighting and training I had been doing. Same with my legs and the rest of me. Mom and Chiasa often say that they're jealous of me because it seems that I have no fat on me, but I couldn't really help it. I still ate junk food, constantly, but all the fat and sugar burned off quickly. That's what happens when you're constantly working out.

The mist in the bathroom spilled out into my bedroom as I opened the door that connected the two rooms. I flopped onto the bed, making it move a little, and landed next to Kai, my head landed next to her small body. She had been sleeping until the movement of the bed woke her up. Her bright blue eyes opened, but she didn't say anything. Instead she uncurled her tail that had been wrapped under her body and flicked me in the face. I giggled as I brought my hand up to stroke her sweet spot behind her eyes. Her eyes drifted shut and she began to purr as I petted her.

Tonight was the last night of my three-day vacation. The boys and I had just come back from a mission and the Hokage had given us some time off. We had been working around the clock lately and we needed some time to recuperate. Fighting in a war was exhausting. Not that I thought that it would be easy, but Kami…sometimes it seemed like it was too much.

The rain outside made a sound that, to me at least, sounded like a lullaby. I could feel the dream world beckon to me and I was eager to answer its call. I got up and headed to my closer. My towel was discarded into the dirty laundry bin before I took out some underwear, sleeping shorts, and a long sleeve cotton shirt.

The light switch was my next stop. I flicked off the lights, and then went to my window. I opened it just enough to let in the sweet smell of the rain before hopping into bed. Kai stood up as I moved under the covers then came to lay down next to my head. This was our routine, day in and day out. She would always sleep with me, curled up next to my head, and wouldn't move the entire night. It had been this way ever since I was little. Even when I went to see Greatgran, Kai would always sleep with me. It was nice having someone to sleep with even if that someone was a fuzz ball.

Before I drifted off into my dream world, I looked over at the two pictures on my nightstand. The first was the team picture. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since that picture was taken.

Kouki had grown taller, if that was even possible, and had gotten much stronger. Not just physical, but he had gotten much better with his kekkei genkai. He doesn't have to use his hands anymore to repel attacks if he doesn't want to. With a lot, and I really mean a lot of practice, he can repel attacks with his eyes. It's as if he creates and invisible barrier around himself when he does this. He told me that the only other person in his family that had ever been able to do it was his father.

When he first told me that, I was a little shocked to hear it. Not the part about him having that much control over his ability and how rare it was, he could pull off anything he set his mind to, but just the fact he brought up his father. He had only talked about the man once. It was the first time I went to his house. I could tell that it made him sad to talk about it, so I never brought up the subject, but I could tell he really admired the man.

Somewhere between the never-ending missions, Jiro taught Kouki how to use lightning based techniques. At first, he reminded me of Kakashi when he used it, but I never told him that. I knew he would have a fit if I compared him to Mr. Grumpy, so I did the smart thing and kept my mouth shut.

Ichriou grew just as much. He's much taller as well, now making me the shortest person on the team, and his genjutsu skills were out of this world. I had a hard time figuring out whose skills are greater, his or Kurenai's. They both were very talented gunjutsu users and I was extremely happy that I would never have to be on the receiving end of their tricks.

Ichirou's genjutsus were so realistic that it took me forever to realize when he was using them and when he wasn't. It had gotten to the point where, on many missions, we would let him use his genjutsu at the beginning of a mission. That way the enemy would be ensnared under his spell and Kouki and I could take them out. Or, and this kinda took the fun out of things, he'd make them kill themselves. He would make them believe that they were killing the enemy, but they ended up killing each other.

When his genjutsus became too realistic for us to know the difference between reality and illusion, Jiraiya-sensei taught us the way to recognize the difference. Apparently there is a faint buzzing sound or humming feeling that a genjutsu admitted right before it's activated. Most people don't recognize it because it's so small, but he trained us to pick up on. It was also a training exercise for him too. Sensei said that Ichirou was the best genjutsu user he had ever seen and needed to better himself in picking up on the hints on when genjutsu is used.

But what was impressive, and I mean out of this world impressive, was how far he could push the limits of his Mind Transfer jutsu. Inoichi had perfected many mind tricks, but he couldn't do what his little brother had done. Ichirou would transfer his mind three times in a row, leaping from one body to another, by using his Mind Transfer jutsu.

When he first figured out he could do this, we all told him to stop. The elders in his clan said that it was too dangerous for him to use, but he didn't listen. He forgot the deadly consequences that could ensue and looked at it as just another challenge. To everyone's surprise he conquered the technique with easy.

His medical jutsus have also gotten better. Every now and then the Hokage asks him to accompany one of the medic teams if they are a man short. Of course he says yes, but when he comes back he acts like he hadn't seen us in forever.

And then there was me. Physically, I had grown a bit too. I was now 5' 9'', still taller than most girls and some boys, but now I felt like the short kid. I had always been the tall girl, but now I was little when I was next to my team members or any other male friend I have.

I had also gotten much better with my kekkei genaki. I still didn't like people touching me if I was angry, I probably would never be comfortable with that, but I hadn't had a slip up in years. I've also gotten a lot more precise with what how much or how little chakra I need to get the job done. On one of our mission, the enemy was holding up in a seven story building. It only took one finger and a bit of chakra to make it crumble to the ground.

Jiraiya-sensei had taught me to use fire-based techniques in our spare time. It was kind of confusing to learn at first because it's different from using wind, but he was patient with me. What made me really excited to learn it was the fact that I could mix it with my wind to create even stronger attacks. The endless possibilities of destructive fun made me as giddy as a school girl.

The second picture was of me and all my friends, excluding my teammates, sitting under the big willow tree in the back yard. We were all smiling under the cool shade that the tree provided. Looking at that picture brought as sting of pain to my heart.

Over the past three years, I hadn't seen my friends nearly as much as I would have liked. Birthdays and holidays had come and gone, most of which were not celebrated. We had all grown into stronger shinobi, but as we did so, it seemed like we grew farther apart. If we weren't off killing, we were training.

Everyone came around to my house when they got the chance whether I was there or not. Mom had made it perfectly clear long ago that our home was there home. They always had a place to stay and free meals whenever they needed it. Mom would tell me how everyone was doing when I came back from my long trips. It was a little depressing hearing the news second hand, but it was better than not knowing at all.

I squeezed my eyes shut tight and buried my head deeper into my pillow. It took me away to push away the depressing thoughts and my longing, but I eventually fell asleep. However, it wasn't a pleasant sleep. My subconscious filled my once peaceful dreamland with screams, blood, and death. My nightmare was so lifelike that only give away that I was sleeping and not reliving everything I had done was the fact that I woke up several hours later.

_Dream/Flashback  
The first day of the war flashed before my eyes in perfect detail. It was the interception mission we were sent on that went terribly wrong. We walked into it thinking that we had that we had won before the battle had gotten started, but we were terribly wrong. Ichirou had gotten hurt, which sent Kouki and I over the edge. Jiraiya had to restrain us from going "overboard," as he called it. We both thought it was perfectly natural wanting to protect our friend at all cost, but sensei decided that there was a line of brutality that we weren't allowed to cross._

_Then the day morphed and mixed the other countless days of unending bloodshed. Every battle ended in loss for the other team and I never felt bad about it. None of us used restraint when it came to fighting. The ground seemed to soak up the blood that had spilled and carnivorous birds had a feast from the carnage we left behind._

_For the first year and a half none of this bothered me. We killed and destroyed to the best of our abilities and liked it. It wasn't until I saw that look in my brothers' eye that I knew we had gone too far. Behind sensei's back, we turned killing into a game. Whoever killed the most and the quickest amount of time won. _

_It was during these games that I had acquired another nickname, the Reaper. Out of all of our victims, only a handful survived. All of them were taken back to the village for interrogation purposes except for one. One had gotten away and told the enemy about the beasts of Team 9. Kouki and Ichirou were slightly annoyed that I was given a new name, but were still proud of me for being able to strike fear into the hearts of my enemy._

_During one mission, we had gotten separated from Jiraiya-sensei and it was the three of us against seven jounin. I had killed three and the boys had killed two, but that wasn't the way the boys saw it. One of them men I had fought was on deaths door. He was seconds away from dying before Kouki waltzed up to him, took a kunai out of his pouch, and slit the man's throat. I stood there, silent and in aw while Ichirou complained that he was about to do that and that Kouki stole his kill._

_Kouki claimed that he actually won the competition since he "finished the Iwa scum," off even though I did most of the work. But the game had ended once I saw him reach for his weapon. I wanted to stop, to tell him that the man was already good as dead, but I couldn't move my body. The three of us were brutal and at that time I could've said that with all the pride in the world, but watching him go the extra mile frightened me. What made it even worse was the very heated argument Kouki and Ichirou had over it. _

_But it was the look in their eyes that brought everything home. They were so proud of themselves, so content at their brutality that they couldn't see that we had gone too far. When I tried to talk to them about it, they brushed me off and said that I was over reacting. From that day on, I never acted so childishly in battle. I never partook in any of the "games" and I refused to listen to them bicker about it afterwards._

_Thankfully, I wasn't alone in my actions. Jiraiya-sensei had noticed it too. He said he was thankful that I had come around and that the boys would soon come around as well, but that time never came. If anything, they got worse. They found more creative ways to kill with less effort and more screams. It was like watching a horror movie right before my eyes and my friends were the villains.  
End Dream/Flashback_

/\/\

AN: I didn't want to write a long battle scene for…well, I don't remember why, but if enough people want one I'm sure I would whip one up. And I didn't know how long the war was, so I put in a number that would work to my advantage.


	23. What Did You Do

AN: I got a PM that asked about the time line and how old everyone is, so here's a clean rundown. Soi was eight during chapter seven when she went to the park with her cousin and she had a birthday in chapter twelve. Then the war started, adding on three years, which makes her twelveish (give or take a few months between her birthday, the Chunin exam, and the war). Everyone else (Kakashi, Guy, Kouki, etc.) is at least two years older than her because she skipped a few grades. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Also, I've decided that I'm going to start posting chapters the second I'm finished with them. I usually wait until I have about three or four done and post, but I've been forgetting to do that lately. Pluse, I've been in writers heaven this week and have been knocking out several chapters and I always get excited to post once I'm done.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 20 – What Did You Do

Before The Chunin Exams  
It wasn't hard for Adatta to track down his old sensei after she had left Konoha, again. He knew her all to well and decide to start look at the last place he saw her. Sure enough, she was at the same bar he found her in before.

At first, Tsunade was extremely upset to see him, but she got over it after a couple more drinks. She confessed to him why she believed that Adatta's most valued treasure should be with someone else. "She is a good kid, though. She will definitely grow up to be one of the strongest of her generation. Her and the Hatake boy."

Adatta slouched back in his chair, his eyes squinting slightly at the sound of the boy's name. "About that. What do you know about him?"

Tsunade looked up from her drink and eyed him skeptically. "He is a very talented boy. I wouldn't say that he could Soi a run for her money, but he is quite strong. Now that I think about it, he seems too advanced to be a genin. Soi and Kakashi would be best fitted for jounin. They have the skills, just need some fine tuning." She took a swig of her drink and refilled her glass for continuing. "It often amazes me that some kids are naturally born stronger than others, but there is always a handful of them." Tsunade looked back at Adatta, but his face hadn't changed. "But I'm guessing that wasn't the answer you wanted to hear."

Adatta leaned forward, rested his arms on the slightly smelly bar table, and folded his hands together. "I want to know the type of person he is." His face was blank, but Tsunade could read him like a book.

An amused smile graced the slightly drunk woman's lips as she realized what he was asking her. "You don't need to worry about her. She is a twelve year old kunoichi whose only goal in life is to become strong. She'll be fine."

Adatta waited a few minutes for more, but she didn't say anything else. "That's all you're telling me?"

"What else do you want me to say? Personally, I think they'd be cute together." Adatta groaned and put his head down on the table. "Come on. Don't be such a baby."

"She's my little girl," he mumbled. "How am I supposed to feel?"

"Confident that your child while wipe the floor with him if Kakashi get's out of hand. I've seen her temper and know how crazy she can get."

Adatta peaked through his lashed to look up at his sensei. "You think so?"

"Of course I do. If I taught her anything, it was how to deal with annoying men." Memories of Jiraiya flooded her mind as she took another sip. He had interrupted her training multiple times and even tagged along on a few of the personal outings Tsuande had with Soi. The young girl would often try to break up their, mainly Tsunade's fights, but she stopped after accidently receiving a blow that was meant from Jiraiya. From then on she only verbally tried to break up the fights, but the words never reached the two Sanin.

Over the course of three years, Adatta and Tsunade made it a point to meet up with each other at least once every couple of weeks. They would talk about how they were doing and about the letters Soi wrote the. They both had great concerns for the girl from what she had written in her letters.

However, it wasn't until the recent visit is when Tsunade started noticing a change in her student.

"Sorry I'm late," Adatta said as he slipped into the booth opposite of Tsunade. "The weather outside is a killer."

Tsunade immediately knew something was wrong. There were dark circles under Adatta's eyes, his face was pale, and he was obviously skinnier. "What's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing," he said as he waved down a waitress to come and take his order. He got the same thing every time he came to small bar, so he didn't have to look at the menu.

"Why do you bother lying? You're no good at it."

The familiar waitress came over, recognized whom she was ordering for, and quickly gave him a rundown of what he typically order. Adatta gave her a smile and confirmed that his order was correct before the waitress returned the smile and went to place his order.

When Adatta looked back at Tsunade he could tell she wasn't amused. "I don't want you to worry because I'm going to get better."

"What are you sick with?"

"I can't tell you because it has to do with my research, but I want you to know that I'm going to be fine soon."

"What exactly is your research about? You tap dance around the topic every time I bring it up."

"I can't tell you because I want it to be a surprise, but just know that you don't have to worry about me."

"Adatta, you look like you're about to kill over any second. You should be resting, not eating a greasy burger and a beer."

"But if I was going to die right now, I'd like to go out eating something I enjoy."

/\/\

Soi was called into the Hokage's office the next day. It didn't surprise her since she spent quite a bit of time there filling out reports and accepting new assignments. In fact, she was a little surprised she wasn't called in sooner. It was ten o'clock in the morning when she was summoned and the Hokage usually gave his orders very early on in the morning. That way the teams could leave as quickly as possible in order to start their missions.

By the time she had reached the Hokage's office, two things struck her as odd. First, the rest of her team wasn't there. Second, she noticed that he was with another team. This was the first time she had ever known the Hokage to double-book teams for assignments.

Either way, there was nothing she could do about her. Her back leaned up against the pale colored walls outside the Hokage's office as she eavesdropped on the conversation. She could barely make out what he was saying to them, but he didn't sound happy. Soi snickered to herself as she wondered what the unknown shinobi might have done to anger the even-tempered Hokage. It wasn't until she heard their names did she barge into the room, completely confused as to what was going on.

All four men looked at her, giving her their undivided attention. The Hokage sat behind his desk, hands folded, and looking slightly worried yet irritated. Jiraiya stood in between Kouki and Ichirou, arms crossed as if he was previously in though. Kouki's arms mimicked Jiraiya's, but he looked more bored and irritated while Ichirou flung himself at Soi, his mood reflected the joy that only sunshine and rainbows could bring.

"Sissy is finally here," he said as she squeezed me tight. "You're late."

Soi patted his head lightly and gave him a smile before looking between Jiraiya and the Hokage. "I'm sorry. I was told to be here at ten."

"No, you're right on time," the Hokage said as he lead a little further back in his seat. "The boys and I are finished." Ichirou dropped his arms from around his friend before taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the door. "I do need to speak with her, Ichirou. If you don't mind, I'd like her to stay." The Hokage's voice seemed much more amused than what it had just moments ago.

Although he never said it out loud, the leader of the shinobi village always found Ichirou's childlike behavior amusing. The boy's innocents gave the older man hope for a better future, but it as also turning out to be his downfall.

Ichirou released Soi, giving her his famous sad puppy eyes before leaving the room. On the other hand Kouki was not so quick to comply. "Why do we have to leave? Anything you say to her will eventually get back to us."

Soi's eye's practically bulged out of her had as she gawked at him. "Kouki," she said in a disapproving tone as she whacked him in the shoulder, "don't be so rude."

"What? We tell each other everything anyway. Why not just stay?"

"Just…just get out," she replied in a hushed, but authoritative tone. "We'll talk later."

That was the first time she had ever seen him scowl. He had made many faces that voiced his unhappiness over the years, but never one like that. What made it even worse was that he gave it to the Hokage before heading to the door and slamming it shut behind him.

Soi, slightly shocked at Kouki's mood and actions towards the Hokage, slowly turned to look at her village leader. "I am so, so sorry for him. I have no idea where that came from." She was so embarrassed by her friend's antics that she wanted to crawl in a corner and hide.

The Third leaned forward and rested his elbows on his wooden desk, making himself more comfortable as he got a better look at her. "Don't be. You can't control everything that he does."

"Yes, but…but he has no reason to act like that. Oh, and I'm sorry for being so late. I thought I was supposed to be here at ten."

"You're right on time. I wanted to talk to you away from them."

That struck Soi as odd for a moment, but she quickly banished the feeling. He had spoken with her privately numerous times about the war and placing her on other teams, mainly ones that had to do with interrogations. Her abilities were great for extracting information and she had yet to receive the answers she was looking for. But her slight panic returned when she realized that Jiraiya had not left. Now she felt like she was in the principles office for something she didn't know she had done. "Is something wrong?"

"Have you noticed a change in your teammates," the Hokage asked bluntly.

Soi looked over her shoulder at her sensei, who gave her a forced half smile and nodded. She looked back at the Hokage, but hesitated to answer. She didn't want to get her friends in trouble, but she wasn't about to lie either. "I have, well…kinda. I mean, they've been more…enthusiastic about mission since the war started." Soi made sure to pick her words carefully. She wanted to tell the truth without getting her friends in trouble.

"How so?"

Soi hesitated a second time before answering. "They are much more…violent, I guess, than I think they should be." The Hokage looked over her to his former student, who nodded silently to back up Soi's claim. "Look, I don't want to get them in trouble-"

"You wont as long as you tell the truth. Jiraiya has told me some troubling things about the boys and I need to know if they're true. He said that you have also noticed changes also and I wanted to hear what you have to say about it."

Protection mode instantly flipped on with Soi. The overwhelming urge to jump to her friends' defense override any sense of formalities. "I was the same way not too long ago. Hell, I even enjoyed what we were doing."

"But the difference is that you learned what you were doing was wrong. The boys haven't." Soi fell silent from defeat. She didn't know how to counter his words, so she stood there waiting for him to say more. "Do you know where Kouki and Ichirou have been for the past three days?"

"No," she said flatly and a bit harsher than she intended.

"Soi," Jiraiya said with authority. "Now is not the time to get snippy."

"I really don't know. I went to their houses a few times, but their parents always said they were out. I assumed they were training or something."

"Doesn't it seem odd that they didn't take you with them?"

"Hey, we're close, but we don't do everything together."

The Hokage pulled out a folder from his desk drawer and set it on top of the dark colored wood desk. Soi couldn't see what it was from where she stood, but she had a feeling that it wasn't good. "On your last mission, your team was made aware of a possible Iwa team hiding out in the Mist, were you not?"

"Yes. We left two of our enemy alive and I interrogated them before having them escorted back to the village."

"With my permission," Jiraiya added before the Hokage had time to speak.

The older man nodded his head before opening the folder and reading it out loud. "At three o'clock in the morning on August 13th, two shinobi of exceptional skill, broken into Kirigakure and attack a number of our citizens. They were dressed in black from head to toe and had no noticeable marking of any kind. They did not wear any sign of clothing or items of any kind to identify what village they were from. One had immense genjutsu ability and the other was a lightning user and seemed to be able to repel nature based and many kekkei genkai attacks." The Hokage shut the folder and looked back up at Soi. Her face was blank and her body was frozen stiff. "It goes on to say that the two unknown shinobi had killed quite a number of people before retreating. They said they were looking for 'Iwa scum' as they put it and left when thing became to heavy."

It took Soi a moment to find her voice, but when she did it didn't sound much like her. It came out small and fragile, as if she was a young child who had gotten yelled at and was on the verge of tears. "They…they wouldn't do that."

The Third put the folder back in its hiding place before continuing. "The Mist sent a report like this to all of the top shinobi villages. If you have anything to say about this, now is the time to speak up."

Soi's felt sick at what was going on. Sick and scared. She knew that they were getting out of hand, but this was going too far. "I…I didn't know…but they wouldn't…I don't understand." She wanted to say more. To say that those two unknown killers could've been anyone, but she knew deep in her heart that it was Kouki and Ichirou.

Jiraiya put his arm around his student's shoulders and pulled her close. There had been missions where she had to act in order to accomplish the mission, and she was very good at it, but he knew that she wasn't faking this. Judging by her reaction, the Hokage knew she wasn't faking either, so he moved on to the second reason he called her into his office.

"I know this is hard for you Soi, but I have a favor to ask you about an upcoming mission."

Soi blinked a few times, bringing herself back down to Earth, as she straightened up and hid her emotions. Had someone walked in on them, they would see a typically normal Soi. That is, if that person didn't know her well enough. If it were any of her friends, they would've seen right through her disguise. "What do you need," she asked. She was slightly surprise the she had regained so much control over her voice. The sad, broken hearted part of her wasn't heard, but could seen full force in her eyes.

"We have sent a small convoy to the North to help a small village evacuate. The village has been hit several times by the war and we want to move the people to safety before any more innocent lives are lost."

"I though we already took care of evacuations at the start of the war."

"Most of the villages did clear out, but there were a few that refused to move."

"Do you want me to join them?"

"Not quite. We have conformed information that Iwa is sending a ten man all Mouki team to attack the convoy. What they are planning on doing villagers is unclear, but I'm not taking the chance on their lives or the lives of our shinobi." Soi didn't seem phased by what was being asked of her. She had already lost her citizenship in the village just because she sided with Konoha during the war, but she had never killed someone who shared the same blood as her. "I can understand if you don't want to do this. They are you're family, but you know their fighting style best and I would like to have you first hand knowledge on the matter."

"No they're not," she said sternly. In fact, the choice of topic completely wiped away her previous fear over her friends and anger arose in its place. It had always been a sensitive topic for her and hated it when people compared her to them. "Sharing the same blood does not make us family. I chose whom I wanted to follow and my loyalty remains with the Leaf. That will never change, no matter who the enemy might be." Jiraiya smirked as he finally let her go. His touch little student was back. "What do you want me to do?"

"Team 4 will be accompanying you for backup, but I'm sending Minato on another mission. You will be coordinating with Jiraiya on how to best to deal with them. Although you'll be in charge, don't be afraid to utilize Kakashi. The two of you are jounin now, so this will be a good practice for the two of you."

Soi's lips twitch slightly as she fought against a smug smile. Things had been moving past for the past three years and between the constant battles, somehow, a specifically selected few were allowed to take the test to promote them to jounin, Soi and Kakashi were among them. The war had taken its toll on the great ninja village and the number of casualties started to rise. By picking and training specific chunin the Leaf would be given gain a leg up on their opponents.

Jiraiya and Minato were not surprised that their students passed the exam, but the two young fighters were exhausted from the exam. It had been significantly more difficult than the chunin exams, but they manage to fight their way through the pain and come out as victors.

Anko and the others, although slightly miffed that they were not chosen to take the exams, were happy for their friends. All except Kouki that is. As thrilled as he was for Soi's promotion, he was equally as angry at Kakashi's. Kouki had fought hard over the past few years and expected to one of the few chosen to for the exam. Kami knows that he had the skills to take the test, but Jiraiya's concerns about the boy's attitude on the battlefield is what kept him from the getting selected.

Once Soi's memories left her, she said something that shocked Jiraiya and the Hokage. "Would you like them alive for interrogation or do you want me to terminate?"

Her blunt question took back the two older men in the room. She had been willing to lead an attack on her family and was saying that she is willing to kill them.

"We could always use more information, but I only want you to do what you believe is appropriate." Soi didn't reply. She had her orders and was already thinking of a plan. "You're dismissed."

Soi and Jiraiya exited the room silently. Jiraiya closed the office door behind him before stopping Soi in her tracks. "Are you going to be ok?"

Deep brown eyes looked up at his black ones, slightly confused. "Of course. Why wouldn't I bet?" Just as Jiraiya was about to speak, Soi cut him off as she realized what he was talking about. "Please don't say that I should have a problem going up against them. I really couldn't care less who my enemy is."

"But they're your family, Soi. It is understandable if you're having second thoughts."

"But I'm not. The only Mouki's I care about are not shinobi…except for dad, but told me he wasn't fighting in the war." The Sanin didn't know if he should believe her or not. Asking anyone to fight and possibly kill they family was a tremendous leap of faith, but Soi was taking the request just like any other mission. "Trust me. I'm not going to lose any sleep over this." Without another word or looking back, Soi turned her back on her sensei and headed for the exit.

As Soi descended the third floor steps, she was met by three familiar faces. "Hey, guys," she said with her typically friendly smile. Team 4 was on their way to the Hokage's office to receive the same mission orders that Soi and the boys got.

"Hi, Soi," Rin and Obito said in unison.

Soi stepped to the side and let the trio pass. The staircase was small, so everyone had to squirm to move around each other.

"I'll see you guys outside in a bit," she said with a wink before quickly descending the stairs.

Rin and Obito looked at each other, slightly confused. "I wonder what she meant by that?" Obito shrugged his shoulder and continued up the stairs, followed by Rin, but Kakashi stayed in placed. His teammates might have fallen for her fake smile, but he had seen right through her smile and knew there was something wrong with her.

/\/\

Kouki and Ichirou were the first things Soi saw when she emerged from the Hokage's Tower. In that second, the confusion and fear she felt in the Hokage's office came back in full force, but those feelings turned to anger the longer she gazed at them. They were both smiling at her as if nothing was wrong.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me," she asked as calmly as possible. The two boys exchanged questions looks before replying in the negative. "Don't you dare lie to me." Kouki and Ichirou were shocked to see so much anger come from her. Her body was stiff, fists clenched, and if it were possible, the glare she was giving them would've killed them on the spot.

Kouki put his hands up, palms out, in mocking defense. "We're not lying. Honest."

"Then what the hell were you doing in Kirigakure?"

Ichirou's face turned sheepish, but Kouki continued his facade. "We don't know what you're talking about." Soi turned her full attention to the blond. If Kouki wasn't going to give her answer, Ichirou would. He was terrible at keeping secrets, especially from his friends. "Don't look at him like that. Ichirou doesn't know anything either."

"Then let him tell me that himself," Soi snapped. "Ichirou?" The blond boy looked between his two friends, knowing that he was now stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Ichirou!"

"We went to Kiri after our last mission to find the hidden Iwa squad," he blurted out.

Kouki dropped his hands and sighed in defeat. "Nice going, Ich."

Soi began to see as her anger grew. "Are you, fucking, kidding me!? Do you have any idea what you've done? We're in the middle of the war. Do you know what this could mean for the village?"

"Why are you so upset? We were close to the area, so we figured that we'd saved another team time and effort."

"Kirigakure had nothing to do with this war." Kouki looked away. He was getting annoyed and didn't want to slip and say the wrong thing to her. "Let me guess, you didn't find any Iwa team there, did you? Did you even think that the information we received could be false?" Kouki's anger also began to grow, but he still didn't say anything. "Do you really have nothing to say?"

"There's nothing I can say that will make you happy," he spit out.

Ichirou looked between his friends feeling completely out of place. "Guys, we shouldn't be figh-"

"We are leave for a mission with Minato's team. Get ready and meet us by the gate." Soi's glare became more heated when she was the look of disgust cross Kouki's face. "And I expect you to act professional and keep your mouth shut."

As if on cue, Jiraiya and the members of Team 4 emerged from the Hokage's Tower. The anger between Kouki and Soi could be felt by the four approaching shinobi. "What did I miss," Jiraiya asked jokingly as he tried to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, his little joke failed and further angered the siblings. When he had finished the brief rundown on what the mission was all about, Soi stormed off in the direction of her home, as did Kouki, going in the opposite direction. The remaining shinobi stared bewildered at the blatant display of negativity between the two. "Ichirou, what happened?"

Ichirou rubbed his arm nervously as he said, "It has to do with what we were talking about in the Hokage's office. Jiraiya closed his eyes in frustration, leaving the three remaining other people completely confused.

Jiraiya dismissed the remaining fighters and set about to pack his things. Everyone headed in different directions, but Kakashi's path had him heading in the same direction Soi left in.

It didn't take him long to catch up to the fuming girl. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stomped down the street. The invisible aura coming off of her practically pushed people out of her way, warning them not to get too close to the angered girl.

"I'm guessing you're having a lover's quarrel," Kakashi said when he eyed the girl he now walked besides.

"Shut up." Her words were harsh and as sharp as a kunai infused with wind.

"Is it really that bad?" There was silence between them and when she didn't reply, Kakashi's pushed further. "What did he do?"

"Don't worry about it. It's not your problem."

"It is my problem if he hurt you."

"He didn't hurt me," she spit out. She looked over at him and saw that same determined look she had seen many times before. Be it on a mission or just when he wants to know something, but she knew that he would keep pushing until he got his answer. "He didn't hurt me physical," she said with a defeated sigh.

"Did he say something to you?"

"No, but he…I don't even know where to start. I guess the best way I can put it is that he…I don't want to say betray, but…I don't really know what to call it." Soi went into full detail on what had happened, her voice a mere whisper as they walked through the streets.

With every word she uttered, the anger inside Kakashi began to rise. He had disliked Kouki from the start and knew he was trouble, but he didn't think that the boy would go this far. "Does he understand what this could mean for Konoha? That he could've brought Kiri into the war?"

"I told them that, but neither of them seemed to care. I don't know what's going on with them lately, but it feels like they're slipping away from me. We never use to keep secrets or lie to each other."

"Do you know why they didn't ask you to come along?"

"No. I didn't think to ask."

The rest of the walk was silent; the only sound came from the birds and people. Both shinobi pondered the reasoning fore the two boys attack and what could possibly come from it if the Mist knew the attackers came from Konoha. When they reached the junction between their houses, both of them stopped and debated what to do next.

"Kakashi, I'm really worried about them. I don't know what to do."

Kakashi could see the pain in her friend's eyes. Her total confusion and confliction spread out for the world to see. "All you can do is talk to them and try to keep them in line. Just understand that you can't control them. All you can do is help guide them."

Oddly enough, those simply words were exactly what Soi needed to hear. She gave him a half smile, although she wished it could've been a full one, and gave him a warm, loving hug. "I wish they could be more like you," she whispered before pulling back. "At least this way I wouldn't have to worry about them."

Kakashi's lips pulled back to a small smile. "Not everyone can be as amazing as me."

Soi's eyes widened and her mouth dropped while her mind tried to process what he had just done. "Was that…did you just make a joke? One purpose?"

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantlybefore heading towards his home. Soi stood in the middle of the street, still in aw at what had just happened, before remembering that she had to pack for an important mission.

/\/\

AN: It is finally time for some Kakashi/Soi time, but the really fun stuff will be up in the next chapter…or the one after that. I've finally gotten to the part were there will be much more Soi and Kakashi moments. I'm sorry it took so long, but I had to build up story and feeling before jumping to this point. The next chapter will be the tip of the iceberg and it will be all lovely dove (mostly) from there.


	24. Blood Against Blood

Big AN: First, I'd like to apologies profusely. These last two months have been crazy (especially finals) and I wasn't able to write anything except this chapter. I feel terrible and hope to get back into the swing of things soon. And just for the record, I will never give up on this story. Even if the breaks between updates seem long, I will always come back to this. I have ideas for other stories and have promised myself I won't start any of them until Unexpected is finished.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 21 – Blood Against Blood

"All I'm saying is that Kouki is our trump card," Soi said as she played with the kunai in her hand. "There's no way they can beat him if they rely on their kekkei genkai to get the job done."

"But what if they don't," Rin asked over her shoulder.

"From what dad has told me and unpleasant first hand experiences, their touch is what they rely on the most. They're all most likely going to be quick and have precise movements, so we have to be on guard. With Kouki's ability to repel just about anything, there's no way we can lose."

"How do you know his ability will work against their attack? Have you tried it?"

Kouki snickered and Ichirou laughed as they thought back to the day they tested the theory Rin was questions. "Yes and it works," Soi said grimly as she too remembered that day and the pain it caused her.

The seven-man group sped through the tress on their way to intercept to Mouki squad. They were making good time and expected to get to the village long before the Mouki's did.

As they hurried to their destination, nobody asked Soi how she was feeling about the mission. This was to be a blood against blood battle and there was no turning back. She received worried and questionable glances from everyone every once and a while. That is, except for Kakashi. He hadn't asked her how she felt or looked at her funny. He trusted her completely and knew she wouldn't have accepted the mission if she didn't think she could handle it.

"I think the best thing for us to do is keep him hidden. The five of us will exhaust the enemy and when they start to get sluggish, we let Kouki and Jiraiya-sensei step in. That way we can keep our secret weapon and our strongest fighter for the end." Soi had taken the time to calculate the situation carefully. If the enemy were anything like her, which they were, then they would close combat fighters who only needed one good hit to end the fight. "Don't get too close to them. Always maintain a good distance from them. One touch and it's over."

"Are they like you? Can they use their entire body as a weapon or just their hands?"

"I was always able to us any part of my body, but Tsunade-sensei taught me how to channel it. I'm not sure if they can do the same or not. Dad never told me about that." Soi paused for a moment, thinking back to the times she had gone to Iwa and to her other family, but she didn't come up with any helpful answers. "What do you think or my plan, sensei?"

Jiraiya gave the girl a reassuring smile while successfully hiding his worry. He knew that this mission was a dangerous one, even for Soi. But at the same time, he always feels this way before a mission, yet he understands he has to let the others learn first hand what it truly means to be a shinobi. "You're in charge of this mission, Soi. It's your decision."

Besides their chatter, the forest was quiet. They strategized the best ways to go about to pull of this mission with the minimalist injuries. And, to everyone's great surprise, Soi and Kouki never spoke to each other during the entire trip. Kouki contributed to the conversation when he deemed it necessary.

The group reached the village in record time. The Iwa squad had yet to arrive and the Konoha convey was just about finished evacuating the town. Captain Bakur, the man who was leading the convey, was a little miffed when he was told that the Hokage had sent a team to get rid of the impending threat instead of letting his team do it. His blatant arrogance made many members of Soi's group question if he was even fit to be a captain. But nonetheless, Bakur informed his squad to stay out of their way while they got ready for the fight.

"We should rest here for a bit. Iwagakure is northeast of here, so we can anticipate where they'll be coming from," Jiraiya said as he sat his pack down on the ground. The others followed his lead and took a seat on the warm ground, giving their weary legs a rest.

"I'm going to go on a quick walk," Soi said as she eyed her two teammates. She was still angry with them, very much so, and she didn't want to be around them at the moment. Although Obito commented that it would be best for the group to stay together, she walked off anyway.

Rin watched her friend walk away, but finally turned back around when she lost sight of the curly brunet. "What did you guys do," Rin asked curiously.

"Nothing that concerns you," Kouki spit out as he rummaged through his back to look for the snack pack he had brought with him.

"Don't talk to her like that," Obito ordered as he quickly rose to Rin's defense. "She just asked a question. We've never seen you guys like this."

"That's probably because you're never around us. Just mind your own business."

A sharp elbow jab to Kouki's gut made the boy winces before looking over at who had done it. Ichirou was giving his friend a stern look of disapproval. "Don't be so mean, Kouki. They don't have anything to do with this." Kouki rolled his eyes before continuing to dig through his back. Ichirou leaned in close and spoke just low enough for only his brother to hear. "Maybe we should go talk to her. We've never gone into battle angry at each other and now is definitely not a good time to start."

"She doesn't want to talk to us."

"Then we can make her listen. Come on, we have to do something."

Kouki let out a pent up sigh and looked towards the direction Soi had disappeared in. Although he hadn't said it, it was breaking his heart to know that she was this mad at him. They had had arguments in the past, but nothing to this magnitude. "Alright," he whispered back. The two boys jumped up from the ground and excused themselves from the group.

The three remaining younger fighters watched as they left while Jiraiya continued to rest in his own little world.

"Should we be worried about them," Rin asked as she took out an apple from her backpack.

"They'll be fine. They always are." Jiraiya took out a notepad and a pen from his bag before also excusing himself. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I saw ladies when we first came in that I need to talk to for a few minutes."

"Is it about the mission?"

There was a brief hesitation as a mischievous grin came across the Toad Sage's face. "No," he replied before running off.

Minato's team, feeling a little abandoned, sat in silences as they allowed their energy to come back to them. Obito took a nap while the other two ate.

Rin, who kept peaking at Kakashi through the corner of her eye, finally could not deal with the stiff environment anymore. "Do you think Soi will be ok? I mean, we're going up against her family."

Kakashi calculated the right words to say before speak. He understood her concerns, but also understood Soi's mindset. "She'll be fine. She's not close with that side of her family, so she doesn't feel any sense of loyalty to them."

"But still, it's gotta be hard. Even if they're not close, they are still her family."

"Not in her eyes they're not." Rin gave him a questionable look, urging for a more defined answer. "If you want the full story you're going to have to ask Soi, but it basically comes down to the fact that nobody in the Mouki clan cares for her. That's all I'm going to say."

"But she must like someone from her family."

"She loves her father and a few other people, but they're not shinobi. She doesn't have to worry about killing them."

"But the squad we are going up against are related to the people she cares about. If we kill them, then those people will be heartbroken. Won't that change the way those people look at her?"

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh. He had thought about all these things and he knew Soi had to, but yet here they were. They were in this small village awaiting a fight with on of his best friend's family. As worried for her as he might be it was nothing compared to what she must be feeling. By killing the enemy, she would be killing people that her loved ones cared for. In doing so, she could lose those beloved people, but this knowledge didn't stop her. Soi was a strong, brave, and above all, loyal shinobi of the Leaf. She was determined to see this battle through.

"I trust Soi. No matter what happens, even if there is something you don't understand, believe in her. She'll always pull through for us."

Rin smiled at Kakashi's praise for their strong friend, but it slowly subsided as the words began to replay in her head. She wondered if he had as much faith in her as he did for Soi. He had gotten a bit better about being friendly towards Obito and herself, but it was still light-years away from how Soi was with Kouki and Ichirou. She tried over and over again to act the way Soi suggested. She was more outspoken than before and more determined to better herself as a shinobi, but she still couldn't capture his attention. "You trust her that much?"

"I trust her with my life."

A dagger plunged through Rin's heart at the sound of those three little words. Why couldn't he feel the same way for her? What made Soi the center of his whole world? All Rin wanted out of life was Kakashi, but he was too blind to see her affection or knew and didn't care. But still, she fought on. She continued to do her best in hopes to receive his attention.

Some time later Soi and the boys came back to camp. The two mischievous makers seemed like they were back in their sister's good graces, which annoyed Kakashi to no end. He couldn't even begin to wonder what they could've said to make her forgive them so easily.

"Where's Jiraiya-sensei," Soi asked as she sat down next to Kakashi, Kouki moving to sit on her other side.

"He said he had to go talk to some ladies about the mission."

Kakashi could practically hear her eyes roll as she dug through her back and took out a bag of barbeque chips to snack on. "Sure he is."

"Are you guys better," Obito asked a tad harshly as he eyed Soi's brothers.

Soi replied with a sweet smile and a typical, "we're fine," but Kakashi saw through her fake smile. She has successfully fooled his teammates, but he knew things were not as perfect as Soi made it seem. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Some time later Jiraiya returned from his, "reconnaissance," with several red handprints on his face. Seeing his swollen face made Soi temporarily forget her troubles as she burst out into a fit of laughter. The seven shinobi rested together until the sun almost kissed the horizon. The warm colors called for them to get ready for the fight that was about to ensue.

Before starting off in the direction they believed to Iwa squad would be coming in, they did a quick sweep of the village. Bakur had done a good job with the evacuation. All that was left in the little village were abandoned homes and trinkets. What once as a thriving place of peace had quickly become a ghost town.

Once the sweep had been cleared the seven soldiers took off. Kouki and Jiraiya made sure to stay a good distance behind Soi and the other just incase they met up with the Mouki squad sooner than expected, which seemed to be the case. Jiraiya stopped unexpectedly, keeping Kouki with him, as he let the others travel on. His keen senses picked up on the enemy, so he took it upon himself to keep him and Kouki in a save place.

"What are you doing," the boy asked as he tried to release himself from the Sages grip.

"The Mouki's are just ahead," he whispered. "We need to stay hidden."

"But we have to tell Soi."

"Keep quiet and follow the plan."

Kouki's anger grew as he tried to free himself, but failed every time. He wanted to be with Soi and the others, to be by the action, but he could break free.

Kakashi was the first t notice that two members of their squad were missing. He silently signaled Soi, who acknowledge him, before she signaled the rest of the team to drop to the ground. They all landed silently on the cool green grass, listening for anything out of the ordinary.

At first, there was nothing but the birds. The wind blew, making the leaves shake erratically. And then there was that one thing, the sound of a twig snapping.

Simultaneous, the five of them readied for the attack. Kakashi took the blade from his back and wielded it effortlessly, while the others took out kunai. They stood back to back in a circle, waiting for what was to come.

Although she couldn't see them, Soi could sense their movements. They were in the trees, stalking them like prey. As if they were wolves on the hunt.

"What are they waiting for," Obito asked, his nerves slowly creeping into his voice.

"For us to make the first move," Kakashi replied. After a few more moments of silence Soi decided to make the first move. She knelt down to the ground, and placed a hand on the grass. The ground began to shake as a cracked shot from under her hand and headed for a tree several yards the way that housed her enemy. The tree began to shake before falling into another tree, forcing them both to fall to the ground.

The Iwa squad landed safely on the ground beside the broken trees. The ten-man squad was intimidating to say the least. All of them hand the same complex as Soi, but that was all they shared. The one standing in front was a giant man. He stature alone was enough to dwarf two members of Soi's team.

"Soi, it's been so long," the tall man said in a surprisingly happy tone. "I haven't seen you since you were about five. Why hasn't your father brought you to see me?"

Kakashi and the others, who were now facing the enemy, looked between Soi and the strange man. Soi shrugged her shoulders, equally as confused as the rest of them.

"Come on, Soi. You have to remember me. I use to take you to the park and get snow cones when you came to visit."

"Save it, Hayuma. She doesn't remember," a seemingly annoyed redhead said behind him. She had one hand on her hip and she used the other to push a strand of her stick straight hair out of her eyes.

"And it's not like you really care anyway," the woman next to her added. The second woman was a mirror image of the other jounin, even their voices were the same. "Quit making small talk and lets get this over with."

Hayuma rolled his eyes, but retained his previous smile. "Ignore them. They're just snippy from the trip." The two women, along with several other members from his team, let out huffs of annoyance. "Such a young squad the Hokage sent for us. Your father has-,"

Soi cut him off by throwing a wind charged blade at his feet. He dodged it effortlessly, allowing the blade to slice into the ground. "We're not hear to talk," Soi shouted, obviously annoyed at what she thought was Mayuma's belittling.

One of the red-haired women smirked as she leaned over to the second one. "I like her," she said commenting on Soi's outburst.

"We each take two," Soi whispered over he shoulder.

Jiraiya and Kouki watched from the shadows of the leaves. For a while, Soi and the others were having some sort of heated debate before the action started. There was a two to one ration. The Konoha team was clearly outnumbered. Kouki tried desperately to get to their side, but Jiraiya wouldn't have it.

"Stick to the plane," Jiraiya ordered.

"Don't be ridiculous! The only thing they can do is dodge."

"Just give them time," but Kouki was right. Even Soi and Kakashi were having difficulty keeping up with speedy Mouki. Ichirou didn't have time to use his Mind Transformation jutsu or genjutsu and Soi couldn't use her kekkei genkai against someone who could do the same to her. Kakashi had his blade charged with his signature lightning attack while Rin and Obito struggled to evade the ongoing slaughter that befell them.

Soi's anger started to get the best of her, making her movements a bit sloppy. Mayuma and Abidin, an Iwa member who looked very much like her father, were playing a ridiculous Good cop/Bad cop routine. Mayuma kept bringing up forgotten childhood memories while Abidin kept reminding her that no one in the clan likes her, that she is and forever will be an outsider.

Mayuma and Abidin lunged at Soi in sync, kunai in their hands in fear of what she could do them, the very same thought she had about them. Just before they could reach her, Soi's hands moved as fast as they could to create a giant gust of wind. Mimicking what a fire user would do, she brought a hand up to her mouth and blew. A power vortex of wind erupted from her mouth and flung her assailants several yards away. The gap gave her just enough time to glance around the battlefield.

Obito and Kakashi were back to back, the Uchiha using his fire to keep the enemy at bay and Hataki to ward off any who dared to get to close. Rin was slowly making her way to them while Ichirou was surprisingly doing well considering he wasn't using one of his two default attacks.

Right before Mayuma and Abidin made another move, Soi balled her hand into a fist and slammed it against the ground. The soil below her began to crack; creating a large creator that stretched the entire length of the field. Ichirou felt the ground move and knew what Soi was doing. It was a tactic they used several times when things became a bit too heated. He jumped in the air and formed the symbolic triangle sign that the Yamanaka's have become famous for, and aimed at one of the red-haired girls right before his body went limp.

Before Ichirou's body hit the ground, Soi started phase two of the plan. She summoned Yuuka and Nana to protect Ichirou's lifeless body. Yuuka caught the body in mid-air before running off into the forest with Nana at her side. They were use to this routine and took action without needing any instruction.

The non-possessed red-head tried to run after the body, but her newly possessed twin blocked his way. "Asako, you're in my way," she barked as she tried to side step her sister. Ichirou grabbed the girl by her hair, yanked it back so her neck was exposed, and slit her throat with a kunai he took out of his new body's pouch. The sound of her choking on her own blood made him giggle a little it, it reminding him of gargling mouthwash.

Ichirou let go of the woman's head and watched her motionless body fall to the ground before making his way to Soi's side. There now eight Iwa shinobi left and they all seemed confused. "Asako, what the hell are you doing," Mayuma yelled as he and Abidin charged at them.

Soi and Ichirou split up to avoid the assault. "How do I use it," Ichirou asked in his new feminine voice as he dodged blow after blow.

"I don't know," Soi yelled back. "The same way you use yours I guess."

"But if I do that, it'll wear off."

"Then…I don't know. Kill yourself and do it again."

None of the Iwa shinobi understood what it was that they were talking about, but the Konoha ones knew. Ichirou could easily pick of the enemy one by one if he kept possessing and killing his host. The only problem ones how tired he gets. He can successfully jump one host to another, a maximum of three before having to return to his original body, but wears on him greatly.

Before Ichirou had time to do anything a high pitched shriek made all of the Konoha shinobi freeze. Everyone looked in the direction the voice originated from and saw one of the Mouki with a hand around Rin's throat. The tall man with midnight black hair and equally black eyes. Obito looked as if he was about to charge the man, but Kakashi grabbed him by the arm and held him still. "Don't be reckless," he said in a hushed tone.

"Don't be stupid," the dark haired boy said as he struggled against his friend's grip. "He's going to kill her."

"If he was going to kill her, he would've done it by now. Besides, she would be dead before we could blink."

The dark haired Mouki smirked triumphantly. "Now that I have your attention, you three, drop your weapons." Reluctantly, Soi, Kakashi, and Obito did as they were told. They discarded their kunai pouches and any other weapon they had on them. The man smirked once again before giving Ichirou a heated look. "Asako, what is wrong with you?"

As a response, Ichirou took a kunai and stabbed his new body in the heart. His mind, invisible to all those around him, invisibly returned to his body. He figured that, now that he had some distance from the fight, he could use his genjutsu to weaken the enemy. He just hoped the others could buy him some time as he settled back into his body.

The eight remaining Mouki's watched in horror as their friend, or who they thought was their friend, kill herself with no reason. While Kakashi, Soi, and Obito were distracted, Mayuma took the opportunity to further tip the battle in his favor. "What did your friend do to Asako," Mayuma huskily whispered in her ear as he grabbed Soi by the hair. His fingers dug so deep that he could feel her scalp. Soi reached behind her to try and get him to loosen his grip, but that only made him angrier. "What. Did. He. Do?"

Even through her pain, Soi smirked as best as she could. "How should I know?"

Mayuma took out a kunai and stabbed the girl in the back. It wasn't deep enough to cause much damage, but it did cause her pain. Soi screamed out in pain, which caused the Kakashi and Obito look in her direction. For a second, which seemed like years, the world seemed stop. Obito's rage was nothing compared to what Kakashi was feeling. He wanted nothing more that to pulverize the man who dared put a hand on her, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

Kakashi's watchful eyes could see Soi's tense muscles through her bloody and tattered clothes. Of course her she was tense from being stabbed, but he could tell she had her ability activated. Whether she knew it or not, every time she used her gift, her body tensed ever so slightly. It was just one of the many things he had come to learn about her, but this little fact was handy.

He also noticed that Mayuma's body mimicked Soi's. It was no surprise considering they didn't trust each other. Neither took chances and kept their ability on. He just hoped that Mayuma would wear out before Soi. Mayuma's clothes were slowly tearing, an obvious sign that his ability was active. Soi once told him that the Mouki's kekkei genkai is rendered void if two of them try to activate it and use it on each other. However, if one of them turns it off, then there will be some serious physical consequences to the one who turned it off.

"Luin, let the girl go," Mayuma said as he yanked Soi's head to the side, a painful groan slipping past her lips.

"But-"

"I said let her go," he barked. "I have her cousin." Mayuma slowly forced his blade into Soi's back again, making her cry out once more. "None of these children want to see her harmed. Besides, that one hasn't done anything special since the fight started. She's useless."

Luin shrugged and let Rin go, but not before sending a shock through her system. The brunette screamed before collapsing onto the ground. With a sick smile of satisfaction on his face, Luin made his way over Mayuma and the others.

Once Luin was far enough away from her, Obito pushed away from Kakashi and ran to her side. "Rin," he cried as he shook her gently. "Rin, wake up." He clutched the girl close to his chest when she didn't answer.

Not acknowledging Rin and Obito's moment, Kakashi continued to watch Mayuma and Soi. Mayuma traced the sharp end of the blade around Soi's back, his eyes fixed on Kakashi. "You're boyfriend doesn't look happy," he whispered into his ear before pulling back on her hair again. Soi let out a groan, but didn't say a word. "By the way, you can thank your father for this. You wouldn't be in this situation if he didn't fuck that Konoha slut."

"Fuck you," she yelled as she through her head back and hit Mayuma in the face. She always knew that the Mouki's hated her mom simply because she wasn't a member of Iwa and especially not part of the Mouki clan, but the temperamental girl was not about to have some Iwa scum badmouth her mother.

Mayuma cursed violently and stabbing Soi for a third time before tossing her to the ground. As Soi screamed again, Mayuma took another kunai from his pouch. As he bent down to put the second blade into the side of her neck, several things happen extremely fast.

First, Soi was no longer on the ground before him. A blur of silver had appeared and disappeared faster than he could blink. Kakashi had made a mad dash for Soi, grabbed her, and retreated back to Obito and Rin's side. Crimson liquid stained Kakashi's hands as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"Hold on, Soi. You're going to be fine." Kakashi said as he tried to apply pressure to her wounds. "Just stay with me."

Soi looked up into Kakashi's angry yet sad eyes and did her best to smile. "He's a dick," she said weakly, referring to Mayuma. She hoped her comment would make him smile, but his demeanor didn't change.

"Stop talking," her ordered.

As all this was going on, Kakashi paid no mind as to why Mayuma or the others hadn't taken the opportunity to attack. While Kakashi retreated with Soi to safety, Kouki had descended from the trees and grabbed Mayuma by the throat. His anger was boiling over and he wanted nothing more than to see Mayuma's blood spill upon the ground.

The cocky Mouki tried to use his ability on the boy, but found that he made a grave mistake. Mayuma used enough energy to, what would have, blown off Kouki's arms, but now found himself headless. Blood splattered all over the front of Kouki. As the decapitated body fell, the remaining Mouki's stood shocked as they watched their leaders body fall.

"Who's next," the violet-eyed boy asked. Three Mouki's lunged for him, but Kouki didn't move. He waited for them to get close enough, to dig their own graves.

While Kouki waited for the attack, Jiraiya jumped down from the trees and land by Kakashi and Obito. He silently placed two fingers on Rin's throat to check for a pulse. "She's alive," he said. "Just knocked out." He then moved to Soi. Gently, he took Soi's delicate body from Kakashi. He was far from being a medical expert like his old friend, but he had learned a thing or two from her over the years. He took off his red vest, folded it, and wrapped it around the Soi's chest. As he did so, he made sure to avoid touching the one kunai Mayuma left in her. "Obito, apply pressure here," he said as he gently laid Soi on her chest on the ground. "Kakashi, you're with me."

Kakashi didn't want to leave her, but the tone in the sage's voice and the overwhelming urge to kill someone gave him the strength to do what needed to be done. "Watch over her," he said to the Uchiha in an almost threatening tone.

Jiraiya and Kakashi made their way to Kouki's side. The three Mouki that jumped him laid lifeless before his feet. They obviously didn't learn from what happened to Mayuma and shared in the same fate. Now it was three to four, but even so the odds were stacked against the Mouki's. Not only did their enemy have a boy that could repel their attacks, but they also had a Sanin. Although none of them had ever come face to face with the toad sage, they knew who he was simply by the stories they've heard.

"Ichirou should wake up any moment now," Jiraiya said in an emotionless voice. It was more of statement than anything. He just wanted the boys to know that they would have backup soon.

"It doesn't matter," Kouki said as he balled his hands into fist. "We can take them." Jiraiya expected Kakashi to reprimand the brunette, but he silently backed him up. Kakashi's hands flew flawlessly as he created the Chidori. The Mouki's, who now were not so sure they could win this fight, readied themselves for the next wave of attack.

Obito watched helplessly as his friends fought a battle he desperately wanted to be in. He wanted revenge for what they did to the girls, especially Rin.

"Don't push so hard," Soi groan weakly. "You're hurting me."

"You have three gashes in your back. I have a feeling I'm not what's hurting you," he replied softly. "Just close your eyes and rest."

"Only if you take this thing out of my back." Soi tried to reach behind her to pull out the kunai, but stopped when she felt a sharp pain from her movements.

"Stop it," Obito said as he swatted her hand away. "I'll take it out only if you stop moving and try to rest." Soi nodded and tried to give him a smile, but she was tired and weak. Between the blood loss and trying to grab the blade just about drained her. Obito gripped the blade, but stopped when he heard her wince. "Take a deep breath and hold it." Soi did as she was told and held her breath as Obito quickly yanked the blade from her back.

Soi felt a sharp pain for only a moment, but it faded almost instantly. Her blood had already stained Jiraiya's vest, but the blood that had been kept at bay from the knife was now freely flowing. Soi's once mocha skin started to turn pale and her eyes slowly drifted shut.

"Soi," Obito said as he lightly tapped her. "Soi?" This time he was a bit more frantic. When she didn't answer a second time, panic began to set in. "Soi? Soi, wake up. I take it back. Don't rest, get up." Obito pressed hard on her back, trying desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "Damn it."

"What did you do to her," an angry voice questioned. Obito looked up to see Ichirou and Soi's cats dash into the clearing. It was more of a rhetorical question, but the blonde still demanded and answer. Although he had been unconscious while Soi's wounds and makeshift bandaging accord, it was obvious to him that Obito had taken out the blade.

"I-I just-"

"You obviously didn't pay attention in school," the Yamanaka barked as he pushed Obito aside and knelt beside his sister. He removed the blood-stained vest and placed his hands over Soi's wounds. A pale green glow covered his hand as he set to work. "Go help the others," he ordered in a stern tone.

"But-"

"Get away from us!"

Obito instantly jumped up and backed away from the boy. The Uchiha had never heard Ichirou yell before let alone see him angry and it was something he never wanted to see again. Although he had been in life threatening situations before, Obito was never so afraid for his life as he was at that moment. The shear anger rolling off of Ichirou was enough to almost make the boy cower in fear.

After several minutes Ichirou removed his hands and examined his work. Soi's wounds have healed, leaving behind black bruises. But although she wasn't losing any more blood, she wasn't out of the woods yes. She needed a blood transfusion and she needed it fast.

"You're gonna be fine, sis," he said in a soothing voice, his anger just moments ago seeming to be forgotten. "I promise, you're going to be ok.

Ichirou looked over his shoulder to see the heated battle raging not even thirty feet away. His anger began to return the longer he watched the fight. He wanted to kill them slowly for hurting his sister. And not just them, but all the Mouki's in Iwa.

Silently, he stood up and faced the battle, but didn't move from Soi's side. Ichirou formed familiar hand signals and concentrated on making the most horrific genjustu he ever created. In moments the remaining four Mouki were frozen in terror on the spot. A couple seconds later, two of the Mouki killed each other, leaving only two left.

"Kill them quickly," Ichirou said harshly before turning to pick up Soi. Her breathing was shallow and her body was cold, two things that could lead to a fatal outcome for the girl. "We need to leave immediately. Soi need to get to a hospital"

Jiraiya studied the two remaining enemy who still stood frozen like statues. "We should take them back with us. We could get some infor-" but the sage's words fell short as the angry brunette stabbed the two remaining enemies in the heart. "Kouki!"

Kouki looked up at his sensei, but what the sage saw in those eyes almost frightened him. There was nothing but anger and darkness. It was as if he was looking into the eyes of a demon. "Ichirou said Soi needs a hospital," he said flatly before walking over to Ichirou and the unconscious Soi.

"I said we were going to take them with us."

"And I made a different call," he said coolly. Kouki extended a delicate hand and brushed a stray curl out of Soi's pale face. His heart broke as he gazed upon her fragile body. "Mine was quicker."

Thankfully Jiraiya dropped the conversation, but only for the moment. He didn't deal well this disobedience and Kouki was quickly become the living definition of it. He also made a mental not to meet up with Tsunade as soon as he got his team back to Konoha. Things with her team were quickly getting out of control and he hoped that maybe he could knock some sense into her and have her come back.

/\/\

The bright sunlight peaked through the curtains of the pale hospital room, they rays resting on her eyes. Soi groaned and lifted her hand to block the light, but groaned a second time when she found that it hurt to move.

"Stop that," a stern voice said from her side. Soi looked over to see Kakashi get up from his chair to close the curtains before sitting back down. For a moment, Soi was at a loss for words. She was confused and in pain and it was blatantly obvious. Kakashi read her like a book and answered her unspoken questions. "You're in the hospital back in Konoha."

Soi blinked a few times, allowing his words to sink it, but what he said only raised more questions. Slowly, she tried to sit up, but found it difficult to do.

"Stop moving."

"I can…at least sit up." Her words came out strained as she tried to sit up on her own. "But it would be nice if you helped me."

Kakashi shot up from his seat a second time. He had learned long ago that she'll do what she wants and that it was better to help her than to stand against her. He gently wrapped one arm around the upper part of her body as he pulled her up and used the other to position her pillows help keep her propped up. When they were arranged to his liking, he slowly helped her lean back into the pillows. Soi had groaned several times through the process, but it wasn't anything that worried him. Although she had been in the hospital for a few days, the doctor said that she was fine, aside from a few scrapes and bruises. He was still gentle when he handled her, but he knew her pain was only mild.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You don't to thank me."

"Yes I do. You saved me."

"You would've done the same for me."

"And I would've expected a thank you," she replied teasingly. Kakashi didn't find her teasing amusing, which damper her spirits slightly. "Come on, Kakashi. Lighten up. I'm alive, aren't I?"

The genius jounin remained silent for a few minutes. It always annoyed him that she could take moments like this so easily, but when someone else is hurt she becomes a frantic mother hen. "You were stabbed three times. You lost a lot of blood and passed out." His voice was strained as he tried his hardest to remain calm. "We thought you were going to die. You stopped breathing a couple of times and…and you were so cold."

Soi could see the obvious pain in his eyes. He looked tired, as if he hadn't gotten sleep in days. "Kakashi," she said sweetly. "I'm-"

"Don't say you're fine," he snapped. "You're not fine. You're in a hospital because you almost died. You almost died because your family is crazy." Soi giggled when he called them crazy, but that only fueled is anger. "It's not funny, Soi! Don't you understand how worried I was about you?" The two young jounin froze the second Kakashi finished his sentence. "We. How worried we were about you," he corrected.

Kakashi mentally slapped himself for making such a mistake. He was worried about her, a face that he knew, but he didn't have to say that. After what had happened that day, after almost losing her for good, he realized exactly what is was that he felt for her. What he felt was more than friendship, more than the sense to protector. After many secret conversations with Minato and Jiraiya, the young man came to terms with himself and his feelings. The young genius was in love. He was madly in love that the girl in front of him and it was the most terrifying thing in the world.

While Kakashi silently scolded himself, Soi opened her mouth to question him, to know what he really meant by what he said, but silenced herself. Kakashi was obviously grumpy and in no mood for much questioning or teasing, but she still wanted to know what he meant.

"They're dead," he said as he tried to break the tension and hoping she would allow him to change the topic. "All of them." He looked her dead in the eyes and searched for any emotion on the subjec, but he found nothing. Not that he expected to, but he had to be sure that she still stuck by her decision to fight for Konoha.

"Good," she said in a perky voice. "They're all jerks, anyway."

"Did you know any of them?"

"The twins looked familiar and apparently I knew Mayuma, but I don't remember him."

"No regrets?"

"None at all," she said in a flat tone. The two young soldiers had a stare off for a moment, neither wanting to break the heated gaze that flowed between them, but Soi's curiosity quickly got the better of her. "So…what happened after I passed out?"

/\/\

The bar was thick with smoke, making the sage couch every now and then. He went to the back of the bar where he knew she would be, but was surprised to see Adatta sitting with her. Tsunade was the first to see the white haired Sanin, Adatta only noticed when he followed his sensei's line of sight.

"Jiraiya," Adatta said happily as he stood from his seat and went to give his old friend a hug. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that," Jiraiya replied after pulling away from the hug. His eyes racked over the younger man and he was truly worried about him. There were large, dark circles under his eyes, his body was slightly hunched over, and it looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

Adatta gave his friend a smile, but didn't answer the man's question. Instead he quickly changed the topic. "I'd like to say she's in a good mood today, but she's really out of it today."

"Then I guess I'm going to make it worse," Jiraiya said, getting down to business. He slid into the booth, Adatta getting in after him, and looked directly into Tsunade's light brown eyes. "You're student almost died a few days ago."

"Which one," Adatta asked in a worried tone. Tsunade gave her ex-student a pointed look, silently saying, "calm yourself."

"It was Soi." Tsuande seemed to sober up on the spot as she and Adatta gave him their full attentions. "She's fine and will make a full recovery, but I thought you should know."

Before Adatta could start in with his millions of questions, Tsuande took the initiative to speak. "That's not the only reason you're here," she said knowingly. "She has gotten hurt before and she's always written me about it. What makes this time any different?"

"Besides the fact that it was a Mouki who put her in the hospital, the other two have gotten completely out of control." Adatta felt as if he was going to be sick when he said that it was a Mouki that had hurt his daughter. He was about to ask who it was and what had happened, but Jiraiya continued speaking before he could get a word in. "It's as if the boys have no humanity when they're in battle. It's like someone else takes them over."

"Soi told me about what happened in the Mist. Did something else happen?"

Jiraiya spent the next few hours filling in his friends about the Mouki mission. Adatta was all for bursting into the Mouki compound and destroying everything. Their reasons hating his child were petty and outlandish. Hating her simply because half of her belonged to Konoha. That she wasn't a true member of the Mouki clan. Tadashi hated her for all the same reasons they did, but also because Adatta chose Gina over Hisoka, the girl he wanted his son to marry. After he had gotten Gina pregnant, Hisoka had lost all interest in him. Since then, Soi had gotten nothing but hatred for his actions. However, he was working on something that he hoped would bring his family together, even though it was really meant for her.

When Jiraiya finished his tale, the three powerful shinobi came up with a plan. Once the war was over, team 9 was to under go a six-month training program with the three of them. If anything could get the team back on track, it would a long and bruital training session with them.

/\/\

AN: Review. I know I started getting a little choppy towards the end, but I really wanted to finish this chapter as soon as possible.


	25. Bad News

AN: I hope everyone had a great holiday.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 22 – Bad News

Soi was in the hospital for a week after she woke up and Kakashi only visited her once. Besides wanting to avoid Kouki at all costs, he didn't know what to say or do when he was around her. He had the constant urge to be by her side, but he knew that was unrealistic. Being a shinobi came first and everything else was just a distraction. He repeated that mantra over and over again, but it didn't help. His mind constantly filled with thoughts of her. It wasn't until his team received orders that could potentially end the war did he find relief.

"Were you really planning on leaving without saying goodbye," Soi questions as she sat on the countertop in Kakashi kitchen. "So much for friendship."

"There have been plenty of missions where we haven't gotten a chance to say goodbye."

"Well, I'm changing that," she said nonchalantly as she hopped of the counter, went to the fridge, and took out an apple. She ate red ones, which happened to be his favorite, but she was hungry and craving an apple, so she'd have to suffer. "From now on, if we're both in the village, we're not allowed to leave until we say farewell."

"Why so sentimental all of a sudden?"

"Because I almost died about two weeks ago and it put things in perspective for me."

Kakashi froze for half a second as memories of that night resurfaced. He had tried desperately to forget that nigh, to pretend it never happened, but he couldn't. It haunted his ever waking moment and even some of his dreams. Know that he almost lost her for good was the worst thing that had ever happened to him.

With a sigh of defeat Kakashi dropped his travel bag on his bed and turned to look at her. Soi was now leaning against the fridge, munching on her apple without a care in the world. Slowly, he walked over to her without saying a word. Soi watch him like a hawk and was a little shocked when he stopped only when he invaded her personal space. It's not as if she cared, but it wasn't something he often did.

Kakashi's tall stature made her feel like a child. He had grown tall over the years, taller than her. She remembered back when she towered over it. It's remarkable what a few inches can do. As the stood almost toe-to-toe, Soi began noticing other things about him. It was obvious that he had buffed up over the years, but she didn't realize how much until this moment. She secretly wondered if there was any fat on him at all.

While Soi studied him closely, Kakashi did the same to her. He noticed that her had grown. It wasn't a lot, but it was something. She hated having short hair, but he thought it was cute. Besides, it was an illusion. When her hair was wet it cascaded to the middle of her back. Her body had also gotten more toned. She had always been a fine athlete, but the years of battle had done wonders to her body. Speaking of her body, he wasn't at all shocked to see that she only had a few battle scars. With her ability, it would be a wonder how she had any marks on her at all.

Everything about her screamed perfection. Her beautiful skin, her bedroom eyes, her insanely curly hair, even her crazy personality. Simply looking at her made his day brighter, but even so, that was all he would allow to happen between them. All he would ever do is watch over and protect her. He had come to terms with loving her, but he was not going to give up his career as a shinobi for her.

"Can you promise me something? Just so I can have peace of mind while I'm away."

"Anything."

"No training."

Soi's bottom lip stuck out as she gave him her best pout. "Maybe not anything."

"The only reason the doctor let you out of the hospital is because you promised to take it easy. Can you at least do that for me while I'm gone?"

"But you could be gone for weeks."

"This mission wont take weeks."

"But it will seem like it," she said in a fake whiney voice. "I'm going to get bored."

Kakashi took the apple from her before heading back to his bed to finish packing. "Then read a book." After all the constant sleepovers, especially that one rainy night, Kakashi no longer cared if she saw his face or not. He lowered his mask and started eating the apple as he continued to pack.

"What will you do if I don't keep my promise?"

"Then you wont get your surprise."

"Surprise," Soi asked a tad over enthusiastically. "What surprise?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."

"Come on! That's not fair."

Kakashi gave her a mischievous smirk as he zipped up his bag, threw it over his shoulder, and walked into the kitchen to throw the apple core away. "If I find out you did any training, you get nothing," he said before discarding the fruit and putting his mask back in place.

Soi gave him an annoyed glare before crossing her arms and nodding. "Fine."

Kakashi nodded towards the door and Soi did as she was silently asked. She opened it and stepped out side, followed closely by her friend. Kakashi turned to lock the door, but before they continued any further Soi trapped him in place. "I have a quick question for you."

"Can't we walk and talk?"

"You said, 'how worried I was.'" She noticed Kakashi's body tensed slightly at her words. Her lips pulled into a smirk now knowing that she's got him where she wants him. "You are very careful with your words and never say anything that you don't mean. Care to explain?"

"I was worried about you. Don't read too far into it."

"It's not so much what you said. It's that you tried to cover it up. You never do that. So, what was the problem?" Kakashi was started to get annoyed with her and she could tell. Soi pondered why he would get so angry, it was a simple question. "I've been in the hospital with stab wounds before. Speaking of which, how come you never told me you came to visit me the first time and what made this time so different?" While she spoke, Kakashi made sure not to look her in the eye. He didn't want to give any part of himself away. It wasn't until she took hold of his face and forced him to look at her did is tension ease. "Would you look at me when I'm talking to you?"

Unfortunately, Soi was serious and wanted an answer and when she's serious, she's persistent. She looked up at him with her dark chocolate pools and he was filled with the overwhelming temptation to tell her everything she wanted to know. Instead, he took a deep breath, took her hands in his, and removed them from his face. "I was worried. Enough said," and without saying anything else he dropped her hands and started down the street. Soi rolled her eyes, frustrated, but trying to keep herself calm and sighed before following after him. If he wasn't going to tell her now, she was going to force it out of him after his mission.

They talked aimlessly, their previous conversation forgotten, before the got to the fork in the road. To the left was Soi's house and the Great Gate was several blocks forward. They stopped in the middle of the street, forcing other people who happened to walk by to walk around them.

Without warning, Soi flung her arms around Kakashi's neck and pulled him in for a tight hug. "Make sure to come back in one piece, ok? No screw ups."

There was a moment, just a brief second, where Kakashi debated if he should hug her back or not, but his body wasn't listening to his brain. His arms wound themselves around her waist and he held her tight. "Have you ever known me to screw up?"

"No, but I figured I'd remind you anyway." As Soi pulled back from the hug, she did something Kakashi didn't see coming. As she retreated from him, she kissed him gently on the cheek before giving him a heart-warming smile and walking home as if that was something she did often. "Oh," she said as she turned around, but started walking backwards. "I'm not through with you. You BSed your way around my question and I want a proper answer." With one final smile she turned back around and started home.

Once again, Soi had successfully stunned him. His cheek felt like it was one fire, but he liked. He liked it so much that he started hating himself for it. He was letting her get into his head and that was the last thing he needed.

After he collected himself, Kakashi headed for the gate. For the first time since his team was formed, he was the last to arrive.

"It's good know you're still in once piece, Kakashi," Minato teased at his student's tardiness. "I was beginning to worry about you."

"I overslept. Sorry."

Minato knew instantly that it was a lie, but Obito fell for the boys fake words. "You're slacking off, Kakashi. Maybe this demolition mission will be too much for you."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, brushed passed his team, and started through the gate. "We're blowing up a bridge. I hardly doubt this will be will knock me off my game."

/\/\

"Oh, this was a great idea," Soi said as she relaxed even farther into the bath. She rested her head against the edge of the tub, closed her eyes, and let the warm water melt all of her stress and pain away. "This is just what I needed."

After being released from the hospital, Gina thought it would be a good idea to take her daughter on a little vacation. Sure it was during the middle of a war, but Soi was not allowed to train for a week and wasn't going to see battle for another two weeks. Since she had time to spare, Gina took the opportunity to have a mother-daughter vacation in the Tea country.

"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself," Gina said as she too sunk deeper into the shared bath. The Catsuko duo decided to stay at the Golden Leaf hotel in Okahana. They were famous for their wide variety of tea and their world famous tea baths. The baths were more like small pools that could hold four to five people. The customers could chose if they would like bath in tea and it the tea baths were said to have special healing properties for the mind, body, and soul.

"We need to do this more often."

"We could do this as often as you want if you stopped playing soldier," Gina said matter-of-factly. Soi took the high road and ignored her mother's snippy comment. They were on vacation and the last thing she wanted was to pick a fight. "What do you want to have for dinner tonight?"

"Noodles."

"That's not very specific."

"Noodles." Now it was Gina's turned to let the stubbornness roll off of her and not pick a fight. It was amusing how alike yet different they were. "I know you're going to hate me for this comment, but what's the deal with being stabbed in the back?"

"Soi!"

"I'm serious. That's the second time this happened."

"Stop talking about it, Soi."

"Well, now that I think about it, I wasn't paying close attention the first time. The second time…well…I guess Mayuma was a wind user. When dad was teaching me about wind, he said that's the one thing we can't protect against."

"Soi."

"It's kinda hard to blow up something you can't touch. Mayuma probably fused his wind with his blade."

"Soi, shut up," Gina yelled. Soi looked over to see tears streaming down her mother's face. Her cheeks had gotten red, whether it was from the water or tears, Soi didn't know. "Just…just stop talking." As Soi watched her mom cry, she didn't know if she try and comfort her or what she should do. "How can you take this so lightly? You have been in the hospital twice. Twice! I-I have had to sit in the God forsaken hospital more times than I would like to count all because you had to go and be like your father!" Gina's tears started to pick up, further breaking Soi's heart. The young girl always thought that if she made fun of herself and her injuries, than everyone else would too. That way there was no strange tension. "Do you know how many nights I've spent praying that you would be ok? That one day you'd snap out of this delusional world you live in and quit this stupid shinobi life style?"

Soi kicked off the edge of the bath and swam in front of her mom. She didn't reach out to hug her, still slightly afraid Gina would push her away out of anger, so she did the next best thing. "Mom…I don't do this to hurt you. I didn't choose this life to have you constantly worry about me." Her voice was soft and her words were sincere as she carefully calculated her next words. "But there is nothing else I could ever do in life. I told you before; I was born to be a shinobi. And, if anything, you should be proud of me. I do this for you and for everyone in your family. All I want, all I've ever wanted, was to protect all of you. If that means taking a beating every now and then, then it's worth all the pain. But also, you're my mom. If I can't talk to you about these things, who am I supposed to talk to?"

Gina looked at her daughter through tear filled eyes, took a deep breath, held it, and let it out before splashing Soi in the face. "You'll under stand when you're a mother."

"Pfft. That's never gonna happen. You're going to have to ask Manabu for grandkids because you're not getting out of me."

Gina rolled her eyes before taking another deep breath. As much as she hated to say it, Soi was right. She was her mother and even though she hated the idea of Soi being a shinobi, that wasn't going to change. And who else was she supposed to talk to about her problems? "Could you just not be so…colorful when you talk about these things? Seeing you in the hospital was bad enough. Have you give me the play-by-play is too much."

"I suppose I could do that. If you're lucky," she said with a wink.

The rest of their vacation went smoothly. Soi bought a mountain of tea and gifts for her friends and family, while Gina enjoyed the scenery. They ate good food, saw a few movies, and even relaxed at the beach. The trip was so joyful that they even joked about never going home. But, the minutes ticked by and sadly it was time to go.

A trip to the Tea country was just what Soi needed. The stress that the war put on her body seemingly vanish from body and mind. Now, all that was left was to return home and get back to her old life. By then, hopefully the war would be over and the village would be at peace again.

/\/\

Soi and Gina returned home from the Tea country six days after their heart to heart. Gina still doesn't fully accept your daughter's choice in lifestyle, but she promised not to nag about it so much anymore.

The first thing Soi did when she got home was go straight to Manabu's room. It was time for his daily nape, but Soi didn't see the harm in waking him up. At first, he was very reluctant to get up, but when big sister said that she had a gift for him, his mood changed drastically.

"What did you bring me," he said as he jumped up and down on his bed.

"Hold on, little man," she said as she rummaged through one of her bags to find his gift. "Just give me a sec." When her hand finally hit something soft and plushy, she gripped on to hit and pulled it out. "Here you go."

Manabu's face lit up he saw the plush turtle in his sister's hand. It a relatively large turtle, something that he would enjoy cuddling with at night. The bell around its neck jingled as she handed it to him and when he eagerly took it from her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," he chimed as he squeezed the plushy tightly.

"You're very welcome," she replied, picking him and squeezing him just as tightly. "Now that you're up, let's go downstairs." Shifting Manabu in one arm and grabbing her bags with the other, Soi went to her room to dispose of all of her bags except for one. Then she went down stairs to the kitchen where most of her family sat.

"Hi guys," she said in a chipper tone as she set her remaining bag on the kitchen table. Manabu started to squirm in her arms, wanting to be put down to show off his new toy, so she set him down. She watched him for a few minutes, smiling, and wondering where the three years had gone. It seemed like yesterday that had come into the world and now he was walking and talking.

After getting her fill watching her brother, Soi turned to the bag on the table. It was full of different types of tea that she had brought back with her and she was eager to try something new. While putting them away and heating up a pot of water, Soi was in such a good mood that she didn't notice the grim looks on everyone's faces. Several of them where whispering to each other, but none willing to speak up.

"Soi," Umeko said as she got up from her seat at the small kitchen table and went to stand by her grandniece. "We have to talk about something."

"Sure," she replied while pouring hot water into her favorite black mug with violet decorations on the side before adding the tea bag. "What's up?"

"I think you better sit down."

Soi froze for half a second, almost overflowing the cup. The only time those words were ever spoken in her family was when something terrible happened, something that could break their hearts. Slowly, all sense of happiness gone, she looked up at Umeko with curious and fear filled eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I really think-"

"Just tell me," she snapped, her voice much more harsh than she intended. She looked over Umeko's shoulder to see the grim faces on the rest of her family. Bunko and Chiasa looked like they had been crying and the look on Jiro's face was one only a shinobi could make, the look of disgust, anger, and sadness all mixed together with and ounce of pain. And if he made that look at the moment, than that means something terrible has happened. Her mother, who looked as confused and worried as her daughter, waited patiently for someone to fill her in. "What's wrong?"

When nobody answered, Jiro took the initiative to break the bad news. "Obito is dead."

Soi's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly at the news. It felt like she had been punched in the gut repeatedly. Gina, slightly hysterical, instantly started to cry. She wasn't as close to the Uchiha boy as she was with his teammate, but she still cared for him.

"W-what happened," Gina managed to choked out. Chiasa and Jun began to fill her in on what little details they knew about the incident. Since it was a secret mission, all they knew was that his body was crushed and that he didn't make it home.

But while everyone was trying to consol the weeping woman, only Jiro kept a close eye on Soi. This was her first lose. It was always hard on a shinobi to lose a comrade, but the first one always sticks with you. It was inevitable in their line of work, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Soi," Jiro started. His voice was low, grave, like the next thing he was about to say would break him too, just as he knew it was going to break her. "There's more."

"What happened to Kakashi," Soi asked flatly. She stared directly at him, knowing that he would be the only one to tell her without making it seem more dramatic. She silently prayed that he was all right. That he was at home alone or consoling Rin and Minato. He had to be doing that, he just had to. "What happened," she asked again, this time with much more force to her voice. Not knowing was making her angry and sick. She felt like she was going to pass out at any moment and the only relief was to find out the answer to her question.

"He's in the hospital." Four little words. When separate, they mean next to nothing to her, but together, it was enough to ruin her.

Soi unconsciously took a step back, her back hitting the countertop. The room started to spin, shapes and shadows blending into one. Her body began to shake as if she had been caught in a cold downpour and her breathing became frantic.

"Soi, calm down." Jiro walked next to her and put a loving hand on her shoulder. "Take a few deep-"

Soi pushed his hand away and bolted for the door, the only one able to see her leave was Jiro. As she ran to the hospital she willed her legs to move faster. Although she was moving faster than she ever had before, she wasn't moving quickly enough. Moving at the speed of light wouldn't have been fast enough for her at that point, but she reached the hospital in record time.

The first thing she did when she stepped through the doors was made B-line for the ER. The nurse at the front desk yelled for her as she stormed by, saying that she wasn't allowed in that section of the hospital, but Soi blew her off without a second thought. More and more nurses began yelling at her as she peaked into every room to find the person she was looking for. One was stupid enough to grab onto her arm to try and stop her. It only took a look, a glare so deadly that could halt the sun if deemed it necessary. The nurse backed off, scared and shocked at the girl before her.

As she proceeded down the hall, Soi's delicate ears picked up the sound of someone crying. But it wasn't just anyone, it was Rin. Soi's pace picked up until she came to an almost crashing halt. Minato and Rin were standing just outside what she believed to be Kakashi's room. They were talking to the doctor about his condition and Rin could hardly keep herself together. Minato noticed Soi and motioned for her to come forward, which she did eagerly.

The doctor had finished giving them Kakashi's diagnosis and left before Soi could hear much of it. "What happened," she asked. She had tried to keep her wits, but her voice cracked under the pressure. Minato noticed how strong she was being, but he could tell that she was trying very hard to stay this way. Her body was shaking slightly and there was a bright shine to her eyes, a dead give away that she was about to cry at any moment.

Minato gave her a quick synopsis of what had happened. He mentally praised her again for how well she took it. On the other hand, Rin started crying even harder as she had to relive in her mind everything that had happened.

Once he was finished, Soi looked at the door behind him. "Can I see him?"

Minato shook his head as he gave her a small smile. It was the best that he could do at the moment. He was trying to be reassuring, but couldn't completely get passed the pain he was feeling. "Go ahead."

Soi took a step forward, but froze as her hand touched the doorknob. She turned back around and gave Rin a big hug. "He's alive because of you," she whispered soothingly into the girl's ear. "Thank you."

As Soi pulled away, Rin looked up at her through tear filled eyes. It was in that moment that Rin knew she didn't have a chance to win Kakashi's heart. Even if Soi didn't say it, she knew that the girl before her loved Kakashi as much as she did. She also knew that Kakashi felt the same way about her, even if he didn't say it.

"You should go see him," she said as she wiped some of her tears away.

Soi nodded and walked into the room, but she wasn't prepared for what she saw. Kakashi was laying in a small medical bed, unconscious. There were bandages covering his left eye and parts of his forehead. The machines that were connected to his body were making all sorts of beeping sounds that threaten to driver Soi crazy.

Slowly, as if the floor was made of glass, Soi went to his side. There were two chairs to the left of his bread where Rin and Minato had previously sat, and she slowly sank down into the one that was closest to his head. Now that she was closer, she could see the cuts and bruises that covered his body.

The sight before her boggled her mind like no other. Kakashi was always so careful, so precise, that she had built him up in her mind to practically be immortal. That nothing could ever kill him except Father Time. But now, here he was. Broken, in pain, and sitting in the one place he always hated to be.

"Is this what you felt when you came to visit me," she asked even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer. She gently took his hand in hers and squeezed. The skin on skin contact made a few tears fall from here, but she continued to do her best to stay strong.

"Kakashi, I...you…y-you need to g-get better." More tears started to flow. "Please."

While still holding his hand, Soi got up and leaned in closer. She softly placed a kiss over her wounded eye as more tears started to fall. Soi sat back in her seat as her eyes produced tears like the sky created rain. She couldn't stop herself from cry and she didn't care. The one person she cared about most was sitting in the hospital and she would give anything, do anything to make him feel better.

"Y-you have to g-get better…please …I-I love you."

/\/\

AN: Don't forget to review!


	26. Helping Hands

AN: I hope everyone had a great holiday. Don't forget to review. Your comments are what keeps me going.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 23 – Helping Hands

Soi's POV  
It's been three days since I first sat in this chare. Seventy-two long, painful hours, but he was finally awake. The room was filled with all of our friends who come as quick as they could when they had heard he had woken up. But as happy as I was to see him awake, my mind kept replaying the conversation Anko and I had not to long ago.

_Flashback  
"I don't know what to do," I whined as I spoke into the pillow. "This is so stupid!"_

_It feels like forever since I told Kakashi that I loved him, even though it wasn't that long ago. If what I said counted, anyway. In all honesty, I shocked myself after I had said it. I've known for a while that I've had strong feelings for, but I wasn't sure what they were. I guess now I know. However, these freaking feelings are driving me crazy. _

_After staying by his side the entire night and a good chunk of the morning, the doctor finally kicked me out of the hospital. He said that I needed to get some rest, but that I could come back later. I left, with much regret, but I didn't get any sleep. Instead, I ended up here. I needed someone to talk to, so I went to the first person who came to mind._

"_Help me. Tell me what to do."_

_I turned my head away from the pillow to see Anko still laughing hysterically beside me. We were in her room, laying on her bed. She had the day off and was sleeping in by the time I came over. I more or less barged into her house, bolted passed her parents, and flopped next to her. She was mad at me at first for waking her up, but she quickly turned her mood around after I told her about my little love dilemma._

"_It's about freakin' time one of you said it," she said with a laugh. "This has been a long time come."_

"_No it hasn't!"_

"_Yes it has. You two have had goo-goo eyes for each other for a while."_

"_No we haven't."_

"_Yes you have." She was grinning from ear to ear like a cat, still chuckling from time to time. "Honestly, I can't believe it took this long. I thought Kakashi was going to crack first. "_

_At first I wasn't planning on commenting, but her last sentence intrigued me. "What do you mean?"_

"_I mean between worrying about you and constantly wondering what Kouki is doing, the kid was going crazy."_

"_And how do you know this," I asked in disbelief._

"_They same way you know everything about him. If you're around him long enough, you learn to read the signs. That and I know how to make Iruka spill the beans."_

_I snickered before burying my face back in the pillow. I had never been so confused in my life and it was driving me nuts. I didn't want to love him. If I did, that would mean our relationship would change and I don't want that. But more importantly, I promised Rin that I would help her. She has loved him longer than I have and she seems like the better fit. _

"_You need to tell him when he wakes up." There were a few times in my life where I have heard Anko speak without having any kind of joking or sarcastic undertone and this was one of those times. Her voice was so strong and authoritative, almost as if she was ordering me to tell him._

"_I'm not sure if I can. I don't want to hurt Rin."_

"_Screw Rin. No offense, I like her, but if she's gone this long without actually telling Kakashi how she feels, than it's her loss. Also, you do enough for other people. For once, do something for yourself. Or, if you really think about it, do this for him. You two would be perfect together. It's time you see that."_

_I didn't have a reply to that. Part of me agreed with her. Rin has known Kakashi longer than I have and she should've said something sooner. On the other hand, I promised that I would help her and I don't go back on my promises. But then I had another, more terrifying thought._

"_What if doesn't feel the same way? I would rather not tell him and keep him as a close friend than tell him and have him distance himself from me. I'd rather things stay the same than change for the worse."_

"_But what if things turn out for the better?"_

"_I don't think I should take the chance."_

"_I think you should."  
End Flashback_

"Soi…Soi!" My head instantly snapped up to look at Azuma. I hadn't realized that I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I had completely zoned out. "Did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry. What did you say?'

"I said, once he gets out of here, we should all have dinner at your place." To further his point he raised the cupcake that was in his hand. Umeko had made a few batches of cupcakes for a coworkers birthday party at her office and had plenty left over, so I brought some with me. There was enough for everyone to have seconds, which all went very quickly.

"Of course. That would be fun," I said with a smile.

I looked back over at Kakashi and my heart broke all over again. Everyone had come to cheer him up and to check on his condition, but I could tell he was bothered by all the forced cheer. Obito's funeral was held yesterday and he didn't take the news lightly that he had missed it. Personally, I was happy he did. A funeral without a body always seemed worse than a funeral with one.

While we were there, Kakashi rarely spoke. It was more of the rest of them trying to get him to talk, but I didn't even bother aside from the dinner comment. I could tell he wasn't in the mood for all of this, so I just sat next to him quietly.

Some time later, the doctor came in to clear us all out. Visiting hours were over and Kakashi needed his rest. But as we started filing out, I decided to be a little sneaky. If I had actually left, I would've been the last to leave. However, I used my eternally useful shinobi speed to duck under his bed without the doctor notice. It always made me giddy to know that all doctors were shinobi and lucky for me, this guy wasn't one.

I listened carefully as the doctor explained that his eye was healing well. Kakashi's vision was still 20/20, but the Sharingan was still active. He recommended that Kakashi asked the Uchiha clan for help on deactivating it, but Kakashi didn't give a reply. The final thing he said just before leaving was that Kakashi would be allowed to leave the next day if there was someone he could stay with. Again, Kakashi did not reply, so the doctor left quietly.

"You can come out now." I quickly crawled out from under the bed and returned to my former seat, he gave me blank look as I did so. "Don't you think hiding under the bed is a little juvenile?"

"I've gotta switch up my routine, otherwise you'd get bored with me," I said in a surprisingly chipper voice. "I didn't think you saw me hide."

"I'm injured, not blind," he stated flatly. I chuckled for a second, finding some bit of humor in his words, but calming down and becoming more serious.

There was silence between us for a while. His one visible eye was fixed on his bed sheets while my eyes were fixed on him. Seeing him so defeated killed me and I would've done anything to take his pain away. "Talk to me," I said softly.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Anything. Tell me that you hate the food here, that you seeing us cheered you up a little. Tell me that you want me to leave you alone or that it's too sunny outside. Tell me anything…please." I felt weak as I begged him to talk to me. I'm not sure how I kept my composure together, but I could hear myself waver in some areas. This was truly the most painful thing I had ever gone through. Every injury I had received in battle up until this point felt like a paper cut compared to the pain I was in seeing him like this.

His only visible eye locked onto me for a few minutes. I froze under in intense yet seemingly void stare before he turned to the window and looked outside. "It's too sunny outside today."

I gave the back of his head a half, forced smile at his attempt to humor me. "I'd prefer it if it was raining, but I guess we all can't get what we want."

"I'm not sure," he said as he turned back around. "The women in your family often get what they want." I'm not sure if this was wishful thinking, a trick of the light, or he actually did it, but I could've sworn that I saw a smile for the smallest of seconds. Whatever I saw, it was enough to give me hope that one day he would be back to his old stick in the mud self and not this gloomy Kakashi I saw in front of me.

"I'm gonna get going before the doctor or a nurse comes in. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Mom and I will be here bright and early."

Kakashi looked quizzically at me. "Why?"

"Because the doctor said you're not allowed to be discharged unless you have someone to stay with and since I know you don't, you're going to stay with us." I gave him a forced playful smirk before rising from my chair and heading to the door. "Since you have no one else but us, you're stuck with us for a while."

"I'll be fine on my own."

My hand graced the cold metal of the doorknob as I readied myself to leave. I looked over my shoulder to give him one final goodbye smile. "Then you can tell mom that tomorrow. Either way, you'll be the one breaking the news to her, not me." With a quick wave of my hand I left the room and closed the door gently behind me.

Walking home felt like it took forever. I couldn't the image of Kakashi out of my mind. I had many more pleasant memories of him, but all I could think of were the ones of him bandaged and broken. When I finally got home I was jumped by mom, Obaa-san, and Chiasa. They all wanted to updates on Kakashi's progress, so I told them everything I knew.

"You told him that he was staying with us, right," mom asked as she handed me a soda can out of the fridge and got one for herself before sitting down at the kitchen table next to me. "I wont allow him to go back to that apartment by himself."

"I knew you said that, so I told him he was staying with us, but he doesn't seem to thrilled about it."

"We'll, that's too damn bad for him," Obaa-san added. "He's staying here whether he likes it or not."

Seeing their determination on the matter made me smile. I knew everyone would think this way, which is why I offered him a place to stay. I'm not sure if he knows it, but Kakashi has been a part of this family for years. All he would ever have to do is ask for help and we would all be here.

/\/\

Before going to bed Soi, Gina, and Chiasa organized a spear bedroom for Kakashi the previous night It had it's own bathroom, even if it was a small one, a queen sized bed, and plenty of closet space for him. It was just down the hall from Jiro so that if Kakashi ever needed any medical help Jiro would only be a short distance away. They had also gotten extra medical equipment like wraps and gauzeincase they were needed.

While Soi went to Kakashi's house to get him an assortment of clothes Gina and Umeko went to the hospital to pick up the wounded boy. It was very early in the morning and visiting hours had just started. People started filing into the building to see their hurt loved ones, but the two Catsuko women were the only ones visiting Kakashi at such an early hour. Lucky for them, the doctor was in the room checking up on the young boy.

"Hello," the doctor said in a slightly curious tone as he addressed the women. "Who might you be?"

"We're Kakashi's family and we're here to take him home," Gina said pointed as she smiled at the doctor.

Kakashi let out what he thought was an inaudible groan, but realized it wasn't when the three adults in the room turned to look at him. "You guys don't have to do this for me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"No you're not," all three of them said in unison.

"Kakashi, I can't let you go unless there is someone to watch over you," the doctor said flatly.

"And even if he did let you go, there is no way I'm letting you stay by yourself in this condition," Gina scolded. Kakashi was slightly taken back at the woman's forcefulness. He had not been scolded in years, but here this woman was yelling at him as if he was her child. "So, what papers do I have to sign," she asked the doctor in a more happy tone.

_Dear Kami, now I know where Soi gets her attitude,_ Kakashi thought to himself. He had always seen a resemblance in mannerisms between Soi and her mother, but now he wondered if she got anything from her father except his looks.

Some time later, after a lot of paper work and orders from the doctor, Kakashi and the others left the hospital. The walk to the Catsuko household took longer than Kakashi would've liked. Gina and Umeko made him walk slowly so he wouldn't over work himself. Not that he would admit it, but he was grateful for the care. He as still getting use to only seeing with one eye and he was getting dizzy frequently, but it wasn't until they reached the house that he realized just how tired he was. The doctor had ordered him to get plenty of bed rest for the next few weeks. His body was going through some drastic changes and it would take time to recover. He was also not allowed to do any physical training of any kind. This didn't sit well with him at first, but after the walk home he realized that he might actually have to listen to his doctor for once.

Kakashi was greeted with a mixture of warm smiles and saddened faces. Everyone was happy to see him alive and relatively in one piece, but they were also heartbroken at the events that had occurred. Regardless, they all assured him that everything was going to be all right and that they were all there to help him. Still a little shocked at how far these people were going for him, Kakashi politely thanked them.

After his brief welcome home, Gina and Umeko escorted him to his room. Kakashi was obviously tired and they didn't want to put any further strain on his body.

"We have a room just for you," Umeko said as they slowly made their way to the room. "If you need us, just holler. Not matter what time it is."

"Kakashi was about to say something, but his voice froze in his throat as they turned into his new room and so was Gina and Umeko. Not only had Soi gotten virtually all the clothes out of Kakashi's closet, but she also got his bedspread and several other knick-knacks from his place.

"I thought this would make you feel more at home," Soi said with a smile from Kakashi's new bed.

"Don't you think a little overboard, sweetheart," Gina asked as she escorted Kakashi to the bed and ushered him to sit down, which he did eagerly.

"Nope. I think this was just enough."

While Soi and Gina carried on their conversation Kakashi silently took in his new surroundings. It was as if Soi had taken everything out of his apartment and put it into this small room, but what he really found to be thoughtful was the pictures on his nightstand. One of them was a picture of his friends. It was during one of the night they had all slept over at Soi's house and Chiasa managed to take a picture of them as they slept. A few of them had funny expressions as they slept, Guy being the main one, but the part that always made his heart swell was watching Soi sleep. She was curled up in a ball next to him and used his arm as a pillow. It was one of the few times he had ever known her to be completely at peace, something that was rare in the shinobi world.

The second picture struck a cored in his heart. It as his team photo with Minato, Obito, and Rin. His one visible eye rested on Obito, the boy's last words ringing clearly in his mind.

Kakashi was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that the women in the room were watching him. It wasn't until Jiro yell from the first floor that they all broke out of their thoughts. "Gina. Come down here." Everyone turned to look at the door before Soi and Kakashi watched Gina and Umeko excused themselves from the room.

"What's that about," Kakashi asked.

"I don't know, but don't worry about it," Soi replied sweetly, her voice calm and warm like her knew it to be. "You look tired. You should get some sleep."

Kakashi nodded, being in no mood to argue with her, and they both stood. He pulled back the comforter and then sat back on the edge of the bed. His next task was to take off his sandals, but he found that task to me difficult. The room started to spin as he moved and he almost fell forward off the bed, but Soi caught him. "Let me do that," she said softly. Soi bent down and took of his shoes off.

Kakashi laid back on the bed, clothed his eyes, and let out a long sigh once she was done. "Thank you," he said, his voice showing just how exhausted he was.

"Don't worry about it," she said as she pulled the blankets around him before tossing his shoes in the closet. She walked to his bathroom and filled the decorative drinking glass before returning to his side and placing it on the nightstand. "Someone will always be in this part of the house, so feel free to call if you need something, ok?"

Soi turned to look at the door again when she heard her mother shouting. Kakashi would've done this same if moving his head weren't giving him whiplash. "What is she shouting about?"

"I don't know," she said as she momentarily concentrated on the yelling. "Just ignore it. I'll go make her calm down. All you have to do is get some rest." She smiled down at him as she brushed a few stray grey strands out of his face before bending down and placing a light kiss on his wounded eye. "A kiss makes everything better," she whispered softly before righting herself. "Sleep well."

As she turned to leave the room Kakashi reached up and grabbed her hand. The electricity that shot through them was starting to become familiar to them both. They both knew what the other one meant to them, but were still fearful to speak up about it. "Thank you for helping me," she said softly.

"Always," she said with a smile before slipping from his grasp and exiting the room, shutting the door behind her.

After she heard the door clink shut, Soi all but flew down to the first floor to find her mother. Gina, Umeko, Chiasa, and Jiro were stand just outside the front before. Five Uchiha members, especially the Head of the clan and his son Fugaku.

"What's going on," Soi asked as she came to a halt at her mother's side.

"The Uchiha have come to bring back what they believe is there property," Jiro informed as he crossed his over his chest. It was rare to see him angry, she could practically feel the waves of anger rolling off of him.

"The eye is our property. It was born from the Uchiha clan and will stay with the clan," the Head said firmly.

"What," Soi shouted as she too became angry. "You can't take his eye."

"It is Obito's eye and Obito is an Uchiha."

"Obito gave it to him on his deathbed. If anything, you should be respecting that wish instead of trying to defile it."

"Such were the claims of a hysterical chunin girl." The Head quickly looked over his shoulder before looking back at Soi and the others. "Abek. Hieki. Go retrieve the boy." The two men behind him nodded in conformation, but Jiro and Soi blocked their way.

Simultaneously, as if they had planned it, Soi and Jiro quickly summoned their animals and took a battle ready stance. Umeko pulled Chiasa and Gina several steps back. Neither of the women have ever been anywhere near a battle ground, but one had suddenly appeared at their doorstep.

"This doesn't have to turn violent," the Head said a bit more harshly than he spoke before.

"You're right. It doesn't," Jiro said in a forced calm voice. "Get off of our property and we'll call it a day."

The Head scoffed and waved his head, motion for his two subordinates to continue. Their eyes turned red as they charged. One dashed around the Catsuko's while the other one tried to jump over them. Yuuka jumped and bit the man on the ankle, then slammed him on the ground as she landed on her four paws. Before the man could stand back up, Soi grabbed him by the throat, but made sure to avoid eye contact at all times.

While they were doing this Jiro and Bull, the large black bulldog, spun around and cornered the second man. Bull tripped the Uchiha, the man landing on his hands and knees, and Jiro used his Earth technique to cage him to the ground in a tiny dirt prison.

The Fugaku, and the other unnamed Uchiha member looked stunned at how quickly their comrades had been subdued, but the Head didn't looked phased. "I suspect nothing less from Konoha's Golem." Jiro had earned that nickname when he was still in the academy. He was the only one of his class to be able to use a nature technique. Year before graduation he created a new jutus called the Earth Golem. It was a full body defense of Earth that was wrapped around him. "And the infamous Destroyer," the man added.

The Uchiha that Soi was gripping struggled under her grasp. It wasn't until he took out a kunai and tried to slice her did she send a powerful shock through his system. The man's limbs went limp and he was now completely under her mercy. "I believe my uncle asked you to get off of our property."

A cold chill ran down Gina's back at the sound of her daughter's voice. It was so cold and menacing that she wondered for the briefest of seconds if she should be afraid of the girl.

The Head looked directly in her eyes, silently challenging her to push him further. "Little girl, this is a fight you will not win."

Soi sent another shock through her prisoner's body, making him cry out in pain. "Try me."

"What's going on," a familiar voice asked from behind the escalating shinobi. Everyone turned to see Minato, Kushina, and Rin a few yards away. The two jounin looked annoyed, having a vague idea of what was going on, and Rin looked confused.

"This has nothing to do with you, Mintao," the Head said coldly.

"They're trying to take Kakashi's eye," Soi yelled.

Minato glared the Head intently as he took in the situation. He had a good guess was had happened and decided to defuse the situation before things progressed further. "Sir, if you have a problem with Kakashi keeping Obito's eye, then I suggest you take it up with the Hokage."

"This matter has nothing to do with the Hokage."

"But trying to further injure one of his shinobi is. I don't believe he would be happy if he were to find out what has happened here." There was an uncomfortable and angry silence that filled the air. Minato and the Head had a heated stare off before the Head closed his eyes and sighed. Minato took the man's breathy exhale as a sign of defeat. "Release him, Soi. The Uchiha's are going to go home now."

Soi reluctantly did as she was told and dropped him and Jiro followed her lead and released his prisoner. The one who had been in the dirt cage ran over to the numb man and picked him up, his eyes still red like fire.

"Are we really leaving, father," Fugaku asked furiously. "We can't let them get away with this."

"We'll speak with the Hokage," the Head said as he turned her back to the Catsuko's and made his way past Minato and the others. Everyone watched the Uchiha go until they were comfortable with the distance that had been put between them.

"Thank you," Soi said as kindly as she could. She was still seeing red and wanted nothing more to finish what she had started.

"What happened," Rin asked?

"Come inside and I'll explain," Jiro said as he motioned for his guest to come inside.

Rin and Kushina nodded and headed into the house, Gina and the others followed, but Minato stopped Soi short of going through the front door. "We'll be in shortly," he said to Jiro. Minato waited until Jiro nodded and closed the door behind him. "I went to the hospital this morning to warn Kakashi about them, but it turns out your mother got there before I did," she said as sweetly as he good.

"How did you know he was here," she asked curiously?

"The doctor said his family checked him out. Since he has no living blood relatives I figured he would be here." Soi smiled weakly up at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I went to tell him that I figured the Uchiha would pull a stunt like this and I wanted him to be prepared."

"Do you think he would be safer if we checked him back into the hospital?"

"After that little display, I'd say the safest place for him is here," he said with a full-blown smile. Soi smiled back at him, but she meant it this time. "Things with the Uchiha are going to be tricky for a little while, but I don't want you to worry. I'm going to do everything in my power to protect him and I know you'll do the same."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"No thanks of necessary. Just stay by his side and I promise everything will be ok." Minato gave her a heart-warming smile and a pat on the head before he ushered her inside. Soi returned his smile and wondered what the next few days will bring. Either way, she knew that she wouldn't stray far from Kakashi side. Nothing could keep her from him, not even if it meant creating an uproar with the most powerful family in Konoha.


	27. Faith

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 24 – Faith

Kouki's POV  
Chanting how much I love Soi over and over again in my head almost wasn't enough to keep myself under control. The day after the incident with the Uchiha's, Soi came over to tell me everything. That Kakashi was staying at her house and about the threat from the Uchiha Head.

I'm not sure which angered me more, Kakashi or the Uchihas. Thinking about him living with her was driving me crazy, but the clear audacity those entitled Uchihas had saying those things to her made me see red.

But then the good news kept getting better. Not that I care about Kakashi's well being, but she is freaking out about it, which in turn effects me. Supposedly, the doctor told Kakashi to try and use his left eye every now and then, but he can't control Obito's Sharingan. He had, "accidentally hurt," as Soi put it, Jiro and Chiasa. I don't care if he's still learning how to use it or not. Hurting two of the kindest people I have ever know is unacceptable.

And to make this whole situation better, Soi came up with the bright idea to go to the Uchiha's and beg for help. I tried to change her mind, but she didn't listen, which only made me angrier. Soi is not a beggar, but she was willing to put her pride aside for trash like Hatake.

So now, here I am. Standing outside the Uchiha compound with her as we wait for the Head to show. There was no way I was going to let her go by herself, so I had to tag along. I would've brought Ichirou, but there wasn't time to get him.

Instinctively, I moved in front of Soi when the Head and two of his bodyguards stepped into the street. I can understand why they were upset at her, but not letting us inside the compound to wait was rude.

"You have some nerves coming here," the Head said with no trace of emotion in his voice. "Normally I would complement such a trait, but not in this case."

"Kakashi needs your help," I heard from behind me. I almost rolled her eyes at the tone and amount of sorrow in her voice. She should never have to feel this way, she's too perfect.

The Head puffed out his chest before letting out a disgusting sigh. "That's not my problem."

"Please, he can't turn of the Sharingan and he's hurt two people already. He needs to learn how to control it."

"Then allows us to take it out," he replied smugly.

"Not a chance," she shot back which made me smile. The Soi I know and love came back with a vengeance. I could practically feel the anger and boldness rolling off of her.

"Why are you fighting so hard for this? You know that the Hokage will order its removal. Just accept it and hand it over."

"Are you going to help us or not?"

"No," he said sternly.

I didn't have to look at her to know Soi felt defeated. I felt a delicate hand grasp mine. I didn't take my eyes off of the Uchiha as Soi started pulling me away. "Let's go, Kouki. We're done here." Oh yes, she was upset. She was using that tone of hers to show that she's ok, but I know otherwise.

I allowed her to pull me away and I followed closely behind her. Our bodies were practically touching as I continued to act as a barrier between her and the Uchihas who were quickly disappearing into the distance. My hand began to throb from the vice like grip she had on me. "Calm down, Soi." I looked over at her to see what I knew would be there, anger. She was furious and on the brink of tears. Her body was shaking, her free hand balled up into a fist. She tried to free her occupied one, but I wasn't having any of that.

"Let me go," she ordered as she tried to free herself again.

"Not until you calm down," I said calmly. I knew she wasn't going to hurt me and even if she did, I was more than willing to take the pain. I hated seeing her this way and I needed to calm her down before she had a slip. We were several blocks away from the Uchiha compound and in the middle of a buzzing street. I quickly pulled her into a back ally to let her vent before she snapped. "Let it out."

Soi yanked her hand out of my grasp and punched the side of the building behind her. A small crack started to form under her fist, which I'm sure was going to have a nice bruise. "How can they be so cold," she shouted. She was still trying to hide her tears, but I knew she would cave soon enough.

"They're just looking out for the wellbeing of their clan."

I have had her yell at me, glare at me, and everything in between, but the look she gave just about turned my blood cold. For a moment, just a split second, I was afraid to be near her. "Are you siding with them?" The raw anger in her voice was also disconcerting.

"No, but I can understand where they're coming from. Normally your rational enough to see both sides of a story."

Bits of debris fell off the wall as she removed her hand and slowly started to pace. "Are you saying that because it's what you really think or because this has to do with Kakashi?" I didn't answer her. I've learned that it's wiser to say nothing at all if you don't agree with her. "Seriously!? You only feel this way because of Kakashi."

"That's not the only reason."

Her pacing began to pick her body became as stiff and unmoving as the Hokague's tower. "Why can't the two of you just get along? Why do you hate him so much!?"

I was doing everything I could to keep calm, but I was starting to become as angry as she was. After all this time, how could she not know? "He has something that doesn't belong to him and the rightful owner wants it back."

"His name was Obito, not owner, and he gave it Kakashi. And it's not like Kakashi can pass on the Sharingan. What harm could he do with it?"

"A lot! You know what those eyes can do. Even one is dangerous. Besides, it's not like he'll ever be a shinobi again. He's useless now."

I almost regretted my words the second they left my mouth. Soi stopped pacing and slowly turned to face me. "Don't you dare say that. He's going to be fine."

"Don't delude yourself. He has one good eye and another he can't control. Hell, he could possible lose it tomorrow when the Hokage announces his decision. Stop working yourself up over a fools dream an-"

What happened next was completely unexpected. She had moved so fast that I didn't have time to dodge or block the hand that swept harshly across my face. I was stunned for a moment, completely beside myself ass to what happened. And then the stinging feeling in my cheek began to creep to the surface. She had slapped me.

"Kakashi is going to become a legend and nothing you or anyone else says or does is going to stop that."

I didn't do or say anything as I watched her storm away. I was too stunned to anything except that. But as the moment ticked by my anger started to resurface. As I stormed home I replayed the events of the day, especially the last few minutes. She hit me and it was all because of him. Everything that has happened between us was his fault.

I can't even fathom why defends him so much. I am her teammate, I have been with her through countless battles, and I am the one who loves her. From the second she walked into the classroom all those days ago, she became my world, my everything. But yet, she constantly at his side, not mine.

I was hit with the overpowering aroma of sweets when I entered my house. Mother must have been cooking something, but I didn't notice it as I stormed passed the kitchen, up the stairs, and into my room., but I didn't stay long. I grabbed my overnight bag and started back down the long second floor hall. I could hear her soft footsteps coming up the stairs, but I ignored it.

Just as I was coming down the steps, she was coming up. She looked worried and slightly frightened, but I didn't care. I just wanted to leave without having to listen her annoying voice.

"Kouki. What's wrong, honey," she asked as she stopped right in front of me. Kami, why couldn't she leave me alone? She was always like this. Constantly trying to pry into my life when all she really needed to do was butt out.

"Get out of my way."

"B-but you look upset. Do y-you want to t-talk about-"

The last thing I need was to listen to infuriating stuttering. You'd think after all these years of telling her how much I hate that, how much I hate that she is a spineless weakling, that she'd do something about it. So instead of listening to her ramble, I did what I had wanted to do my entire life. I placed my hand on her shoulder and pushed.

Watching her fall down the steps was like watching a play. It was the most graceful thing she's ever done and I silently wondered why I hadn't done this sooner. But the best part, the most beautiful gift she could've ever given me, was to seeing the blood pool around her head. Her eyes were closed, her body still. The crimson liquid flowing out of her made her look like an angel.

I stood there for a few minutes, absorbing my lovely handiwork, before descending the steps, stepping around the mess, and leaving. Ichirou was either at his house or the hospital. Either place would better for me than here.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
The walk home seemed like it took forever. I can't believe I slapped Kouki. What was I thinking? Although I didn't like his opinion, I shouldn't be mad for him having one.

I was so happy to get home that I almost started to cry. It seemed like I had been doing that a lot lately and I really hated it. Life never use to be this confusing and I'd do anything to have it go back to those ways.

My first stop was Kakashi's room, but he wasn't there. I practically lived in there now, not that anyone cared. Mom joked that I have a natural, "mother's instinct," by the way I treat him. Just because I like to be kept in the loop about his condition and take care of all his needs doesn't mean that I act like a mom.

My next stop was the kitchen and he wasn't there either. "Where are you," I said to myself. I concentrated my hearing to pick up the multiple sounds that filled the house to pin-point where he might be. I heard the TV in the living room, footsteps upstairs, and chatter coming from the back of the house. I followed it to the sliding glass door and saw Kakashi, Rin, Minato, and half of the family out back.

At first, I was a little scared to see him walking around outside, but I didn't voice my opinion as I went to join them. Jiro was with him, so I knew he was safe.

The first person to notice me was Kakashi. His one good eye locked onto me as I walked towards the group and I knew he could tell I was upset. Before coming outside I took a few minute to myself to calm my anger and look as normal as I could, but I knew a few people would know that I was faking. However, what I instantly noticed about him was that he was wearing his forehead protected, but it was slightly slanted to hide his left eye.

"You know you're wearing that wrong," I said with a slight giggle as I pointed to the protector.

"Rin came up with the idea," Kakashi said as I came to stand beside him. "This way I don't have any more…accidents." I knew he was referring to what happened the other day. Kakashi had been staying with us for a while and he had mostly gotten use to operating with one eye. Every now and then, according to the doctor's orders, he would practice using his left eye, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't get the Sharingan to deactivate. On day, he accidentally hurt Jiro and Chiasa. He was so upset that he was willing to give the eye back to the Uchihas, but we convinced him otherwise. I told him that if I could overcome my ability, then he could overcome this.

"How is this supposed to help him see," I questioned.

Rin smiled brightly, something I hadn't seen in a very long time, before answering. "If Kakashi practices doing day to day tasks with just his right eye, then he'll eventually be able to do things normally. And since his left eye is a perfect 20/20, I figured he could only use that Sharingan when he needs too. With practice, he'll be able to use the Sharingan just like Obito did.

I looked over at Rin, who looked very pleased with her idea, and started to smile. She was just as hopeful that Kakashi could still become a full-fledged shinobi as much as I did. Thank Kami, because after what Kouki said, I needed somebody to be on my side.

"Good. That'll show those assholes."

"Soi," my mother shouted. "Watch your mouth." Everyone got a good laugh at my scolding, which made me happy. Being surrounded by all those happy faces made my day better.

The rest of the day went as peacefully as when I first got home. Minato and the others stayed for dinner, but Rin decided to spend the night. When it was time for bed Rin, Kakashi, and I decided to camp out in the living room and fall asleep to the sounds of late night TV. I was too wired to fall asleep, wondering what the Hokage would say tomorrow, as I'm sure Kakashi was. On the other hand, Rin fell asleep around 11:30pm.

"Kakashi," I whispered from my spot on the floor. Rin was laying next to me and Kakashi was above us on the couch.

"Yeah."

I looked over at Rin's to judge just how deeply asleep she was. She looked like she was out for the night, so I slowly sat up and rested my back against the edge of the couch. I searched my mind to the proper words I wanted to say before turning to look at him.

Tomorrow was going to be one, if not the most important day of Kakashi's life. The Head of the Uchiha clan went to the Hokage to make the final decision regarding Obito's eye. Whatever he decided would directly impact Kakashi's future.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, you're still going to be a shinobi, right?"

His forehead protector had been discarded hours ago, giving me a full few of the upper part of his face. His left eye no longer needed a bandage, but he kept it closed to make sure to not have another accident.

"It all depends on what the Hokague says."

"That's not true. You can still be a shinobi with one eye." Kakashi gave me skeptical look, which he probably hoped would make me drop the subject, but it only pushed me further. "I'm serious. You're very talented and it would be a shame if you let your gifts go to waste."

"I'm happy you and Rin have so much faith in me that I can continue, but,.." Kakashi paused and let out a defeated sigh as he looked between Rin and me. "But let's be realistic. If I can't control the Sharingan, then there's no point in even trying to continue. And if I lose it, then I'll have a large blind side. No matter what happens, I don't see much of a future for myself."

Listening to him talk like this was almost as painful seeing him in the hospital. He had put up a good front for the past few weeks, pretending that everything that was happening with the Uchihas wasn't affecting him, but I knew it was.

"Don't say that. I know things look bad now, but I know you'll pull through. I have faith in you." The defeated look in his eye lingered even though I could see his lips pull back in the smallest of smiles under his mask. I racked my brain of something else to say, but nothing sprang to mind. Then suddenly, as if I was hit in the head with a plank of wood, I stood up and reached out for him. "Come on." Kakashi looked down at my and then back to my face, completely confused. "Grab your protector and let's go."

Thankfully he didn't argue as he grabbed his protector and my offering. I pulled him up to my level before I started for the door. He watched me closely as I slipped on my shoes and motioned for him to do the same.

"Are you really going outside in your pajamas," he asked.

"Yes, and you are too," I said with a wink. He chuckled lightly, and much needed improvement over his previous mood, as he put his shoes and protector on.

Silently, we slipped out of the house and started down the road. The streetlights and stars illuminated the path before us as we went about our little stroll. "Where are we going?"

"Some place special."

As we walked Kakashi stumbled a bit and I would have to keep him keep his balance. It was a large improvement from when he first started walking with only one eye, but he still had some ways to go. When I wasn't training, I would usually be forcing him to work out. There was no crazy workout like a long jog or chakra control, but I did make him practice with the kunai. I did catch him and Jiro working on some secret jutsu a couple times. I told them both that they needed to stop because the doctor ordered that he isn't allowed to do anything with chakra control, but I know they didn't listen to me. The two of them are too pig headed to listen.

"Are you ever going to tell me what you did," he asked as he picked up my bruised hand and examined it closely. "I have an idea that you didn't do this during training." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't say anything. I didn't want to risk having another argument today. "He did this, didn't he?"

I groan, no really annoyed, and withdrew my hand from his. "Can we please not talk about it?"

"What did he do?"

"Nothing that I can't handle."

"Soi."

"Kakashi, please," I begged. I turned to look at him, now giving him my full attention as we walked. "Please just trust me. I did this to myself because I lost my temper." I rubbed my bruised hand with my other, clearly remembering the events of the morning. "If you really want to know, I'll tell you tomorrow, but right now I need you to not worry about it and enjoy the moment."

I could tell that he had more to say, but thankfully he did as I asked. If he really wanted to know, then I'll tell him, but not now. Right now was about him and that's where the focus was going to stay.

We walked in silence after that until he realized where we were going. The cemetery was just a few yards ahead of us, the light of the moon reflecting of the tombstones.

"What are we doing here," he asked harshly. He stopped right outside the gate, his body frozen in place.

"It's ok," I said softly as I put my hand in his and lightly tugged. "I want you to see him." Kakashi looked at me, a tad coldly, but didn't say anything. "It's ok. I'll be right beside you." I tugged on him again and this time he allowed my to guide him.

Hand in hand, we wondered through the cemetery, the only sound coming from the animals that awakened in the night. In the center of the cemetery was a large dark greenish-black stone and the closer we got to it, the slower or pace got. But when we got to it, it was as if the world had stopped. The winded stopped blowing and the sounds of nature seemed to disappear completely.

"I thought you might want to see him." I looked over to see Kakashi standing rock solid. I couldn't even tell if he was breathing or not, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I looked back at the stone and fixed my eyes on Obito's name. Because of his injuries, Kakashi wasn't able to attend the funeral. I had wanted to bring him here sooner, but I was always worried about taking him out of the house. "If you want, I can give you two some time to yourselves." The answer I received was a tight squeeze on my hand. Understanding his request, I stayed put.

We stood together for I don't know how long. Memories of the few days I spent with Obito came in bits in peaces. It was like a movie in my mind playing out of order, but it was something. I was overwhelmed with sadness when I heard about his death, but I couldn't even fathom how Kakashi felt. For a second, I thought about how I would feel if something ever happened to Kouki or Ichirou and I started to cry, but I quickly rid myself of my tears. I couldn't imagine a world without.

"You told me that I needed to learn to trust my teammates. Than I needed to be kinder to them or something bad would happen." I looked over at him, shocked and wide eyed at his words. "You were right."

"I never meant this."

"I know, but…you were right." He squeezed my hand gently as he spoke. "Before he died, he told me to look after Rin. He also told me how she felt about me and how he loved her, but…I don't know what to do about it."

"What do you mean?"

Kakashi squeezed my hand again, this time a bit more harshly. "I will protect her, no matter what, but I can't reciprocate her feelings. I just don't feel the same way."

"And that's ok," I said softly as I rubbed his arm lightly with my free hand. "Just stay by her side. Continue being yourself and everything will be ok, but you can't give up on your dreams. Obito believed in you. He wouldn't have given you his eye if he didn't think you have what it takes to be a good shinobi and protect Rin."

Kakashi turned to look down at him, his one visible eye had more emotion in it than I had ever seen before. "How do you know that?"

"Because I have that much faith in you and so do so many others. He gave you his most valuable weapon to protect his most precious person. That shows how much faith he had in you."

At that moment, I wished more than anything to know what he was thinking. I couldn't read his facial expression or his eye, which was driving me crazy.

"Thank you," he said softly.

I smiled up at him and squeezed his hand lightly before resting my head on his shoulder and turning to look back at our fallen friend. "Any time."

/\/\

The Hokague's office was almost filled to its limit with people. On both sides of the Hokague sat Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu of the Konoha Council along with Jiraiya and Orochimaru. The council members would automatically be a part of the decision-making, but he also wanted to hear what his former students had to say. In front of them stood Minato, Kakashi, Kakashi's doctor, the Head of the Uchiha clan, and one of his bodyguards. Just outside the door stood Soi, Rin, their friends, and some of Soi's family.

First, the Hokague allowed the Head to speak. He explained that the Sharingan was Uchiha family and should be kept in the family as it always has and that he doesn't trust and outside to have it. His longwinded speech went on for nearly ten minutes before he was finished.

Minato's turn was next. Although he had not been there when the even occurred, he backed up Rin and Kakashi's testimonies and said that he believed Kakashi could only do good things with the eye.

After that came the doctor's testimony. Since he was a neutral party, what he had to say weighed heavily on the outcome of the case. He explained how impressed he was with Kakashi's ability to adapt with using only one eye. However, he was afraid that if he kept they eye that Kakashi may never be able to use it properly. "He will have to have extensive training in order to use the Sharingan. Since it is constantly active, it will have to remain covered until he desires to use it. The amount of chakra it eats up would surly kill him if left unprotected."

"Could he ever have a future as an active shinobi," the Hokague asked.

"With the proper amount of training, yes, he could be."

"With or without the eye?"

"Both."

The Hokague nodded his head and then looked directly at Kakashi. I read the boys body language and saw nothing but pride. "What do you have to say about the matter?"

There was a brief moment of hesitation. Kakashi though carefully at what he wanted to say before he said it, hoping that he would say the right thing. "At first, I was skeptical about it. Keep the eye would forever be a constant reminder of what happened. And after what I had done to the people I have been staying with, that made me feel worse. But then my friends kept telling me that I could do this. That I could still be a shinobi and I could use this eye to my advantage. Obito wouldn't have given it to me unless he believed in me and I intend to follow through with his dying wish."

His speech was brief, but it struck a cord in the Hokague's heart. Such a young man had already been through so much in his life, but he was willing to fight on.

"I've heard enough," the Hokague said as he sat back in his chair. "The five of you may leave while we discuss what to do." The five people before him bowed politely before quietly exiting the room. Everyone in the hallway stiffened when they came out.

"What happened," Jiro asked.

"They're deliberating right now," Minato said. He watched Kakashi carefully as the boy went to stand next to Soi. The blond smiled as he watched the two young jounin interact. He was always happy to see his student lighten up when he was around her, but it didn't escape his notice the look Rin was giving him. Time and time again he has caught her with that same look of longing and sadness on her face. He had known from the moment they became a team that there was a crazy love square going on between his students and Soi, but he didn't know what to do about it. Instead, he sat back and waited for them to come to him. If they needed advise, than he'd always be there to listen.

The hallway filled with chatter as the large group members talked amongst themselves until Jiraiya poked his head through the office door some time later. "You two may come back in," he said as he pointed to Kakashi and the Head.

The Head, who ordered his bodyguard to stay put, walked into the room, followed by Kakashi. But just before he passed through the door he gave one passing look at Soi. She gave him the best reassuring smile she, hoping that her cheer would be enough to ease his worry. Then Kakashi walked into the office, closing the door behind him.

Kakashi and the Head stood before the Hokague and his advisors. The Head, who was looking so smug that his disgusting grin could've been seen from the Mist, stood tall and proud as did Kakashi, but without the grin.

The Hokague leaned forward in his chair, ready to give his decision. "After much deliberation, I have decided to allow Kakashi to the eye."

"What," the Head yelled in anger at the Hokague. "

"Be still," Koharu said in a stern tone. "Show some respect. Our decision is final."

"How can you let him keep it? It's family property."

"We agree with you that the eye was Uchiha property," the Hogakue began, "but it was willingly given to Kakashi by an Uchiha as if it were a gift. Therefore, the eye stays with the boy."

"This is an outrage!"

"This is my final decision. As is mandatory training for him." Sarutobi voice rose a few octaves as he started to get agitated with the man in front of him. "You still want to become a shinobi, right," he asked Kakashi. The silver haired boy nodded silently, still slight shocked at his leaders decision. "Than you need to find the boy a tutor to help him control his eye," he ordered to the Head.

"No."

"Then you will be imprisoned for disobeying a director order from the Hokague," Koharu said flatly. "The choice is yours, Uchiha."

The Head gritted his teeth, but said nothing. He simply nodded as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"You are dismissed," the Hokague said, but the Head was already out the door before.

Kakashi watch the Head storm out of the room, but he stayed in place. He turned back to the Hokague and bowed as deeply as he could. "Thank you," he said with the highest level of sincerity he could must.

"No reason for that. Go be the best shinobi you can be and make Konoha proud."

"I will." With nothing else to say, Kakashi flew out of the door and into the hall. As he ran, he smacked right into Rin, who fell into Soi. Kakashi extended a hand to each of the fall girls and they both accepted the help. After pulling them to their feet and still holding their hands, he told everyone the good news. "I get to keep it."

Rin and Soi shrieked in joy and hugged him while everyone else cheered happily.

"Congratulations," Rin said happily as she continued to hug him. Soi stepped away silently as the three-man hugged felt occurred. It didn't feel as good as the ones she had with Kouki and Ichirou. As she stepped away she noticed something the shocked her, saddened her, but also made her happy all in one. Kakashi was hugging Rin back and he looked happy.

For years, Soi wanted nothing more than for Kakashi to be closer to his teammate and now it seemed that he had. The open display of affection warmed her heart, but also broke it. As much as she loved seeing him open up to her, part of her felt jealous. She wanted to be the one receiving his love, but she quickly remembered her promise to Rin. Silently, she made her way through the crowed and exited the building, completely unaware of Minato's bright blue eyes following her as she went. Or Kakashi's for that matter.

/\/\

AN: The next chapter will have Soi's confession to Kakashi.


	28. Confession

AN: I think this is the longest I have gone without updating. I am truly sorry for that. This semester is going to be a long one, so I'm going to try and make all my chapters long to makeup for the wait. Just remember, even if I take forever to update I will never abandon this story. I love it too much to do so.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Chapter 25 – Confession

Ichirou's POV  
Its been a little over a week since Kouki barged into my bedroom, waking me up from my afternoon nap, and practically dragging me out of my house. I knew where he was taking me and I didn't complain or protest. For the past year or so we've been sneaking out of the village and taking trips to where we please. Doing some things people might find questionable, especially Soi, but it was fun, so we continued to do it. Our favorite place to go is a small fishing village in the Tea Country. We go down there every now and then to clean up our secret hideout.

On our first trip to the village, we were hiking in the mountains around it and found a giant metal door. It was hidden in the shadow of the mountain, so we automatically assumed it was abandoned, which it was. Ever since then we've gone down every couple of weeks to clean it up a bit. It looked like a bunker that was used during one of the wars, but was forgotten shortly after. We had talked about bringing Soi down with us, but we still haven't invited her yet. Not only would she be pissed that we've been leaving the village without giving the Hokague any notice, but she would flip if she knew we went to the Tea Country and didn't bring her back any tea.

But now we're back in the village and the first thing we do, of course, is get yelled out. The Hokague called us to his office, which meant he knew we had wondered off again. But we didn't expect to see when we reached his office was Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sensei standing next to him and Soi hugging our former teacher tightly.

"Sensei," I yelled as I zipped across the room and hugged her tightly. It had been forever since I last saw her and cuddling up to her felt like sunshine, but I guess she didn't feel the same way. She put her hand on my shoulder and lightly pushed me away before doing the same to Soi. She looked somber, as if torn between embracing us or yelling.

"Go stand next to Kouki," she ordered.

I was a little hurt that she didn't hug me back, considering when I came in she was embracing Soi like she was her long lost daughter, but I did as she said. Soi and I went to stand next to Kouki like good little puppy dogs. Soi was bouncing up and down as she smiled brightly at Tsunade-sensei. I know she has missed sensei a lot, but I didn't know she missed her this much.

Turning away from Soi to look at the three legends in front of us, I noticed none of them looked happy. In fact, I was kinda wondering why Soi and the other two were here. I knew Kouki and I were going to get yelled at, but why did Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sensei have to be here for it?

"First, I'd like to discuss your sudden disappearance," the Hokague said in the usually disapproving tone he gave us. I peaked over to Soi, who looked extremely confused, and chuckled a bit at the look on her face. "Not you, Soi. Your teammates." Soi looked over at Kouki and I and she looked like she was about the breath fire. Yep, she was pissed. I often thought it was funny how quickly she went from cool to hot, but not so much when her heat is aimed at me.

"We decided we needed a vacation," Kouki said coolly, which made me chuckle again.

"Then why didn't ask off properly," Tsunade-sensei asked. "There are proper channels all shinobi have to go through before leaving the village."

"We were gone a week. It didn't seem like a big deal."

"It is a big deal when you're on call."

"And this isn't the first time you have done this," Jiraiya-sensei added.

The three of the argued for a bit until the Hokague made Tsunade-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei be quiet, which they promptly did. It was really funny. I've never seen them so…obedient.

"Kouki, when was the last time you were home," the Hokague asked. The looks on Jiraiya and Tsunade-sensei's faces made me freeze; I dared not take a chance to look at Kouki. They knew. They must've known.

"I haven't been home yet. Why?" The way Kouki answered was just…wow. So smooth, so calm. He was playing his role very well. Playing it off as if he had no idea what the Hokague was talking about.

"There's been an accident," Jiraiya-sensei said. His eyes were distant, yet somehow very aware. As if he's delivered this bit of information before. "I'm sorry, Kouki, but your mother has passed away."

There was a still silence in the room for a while. Neither Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade-sensei, or the Hokague wanted to say Kouki and I knew what was coming.

I'm sorry to have to say this Kouki, but your mother has passed away," the Hokague said softly.

Instantly, I played along. I thought of the saddest thing imaginable and allowed my tears to flow. As the water works began I looked over to Soi and Kouki. Soi's hands covered her mouth, her tears flowing freely. The sight made my tears flow harder. I hated seeing her like that. It truly killed me.

On the other hand, Kouki was still playing his role perfectly. He stood still, motionless, and seemed distant. Like he truly had been given the worst news imaginable instead of the best. I knew he had always hated his mother. I wasn't sure why, but it was obvious by the way he spoke about her to me. She annoyed him to no end and tripping her was probably the best he's ever done.

"How did she died," Kouki asked softly.

"One of your neighbors went o check up on her when she hadn't been seen in days and found her laying at the bottom of the steps. It seems that she fell," the Hokague replied.

Soi rushed to Kouki's side and enveloped him in her eyes. His hands wound around her waist, keeping her glued to him.

The Hokague and our sensei's began to offer their apologies, which is when I tuned out. I continued to tear up a bit, but I was thinking of I was thinking of other things. About how much work has to be done in the bunker, how we're going to persuade Soi to come see it without flipping out, and many other things.

"Ichirou," I heard my name being called somewhere in the distance, my mind still far away. "Ichirou. Did you hear me," Tsunade-sensei said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"No. I'm sorry, sensei."

"I said Jiraiya and I are taking the three of you away on a year long training trip." I could feel my eyes practically fall out of my head as the bugged out. She was taking us on a trip? We disobeyed standard shinobi rules and we get rewarded with a trip? Awesome! "Don't look so excited. We're hoping that this training will make the three of you a tighter fighting unit and to get you and Kouki back on track."

I moved quickly and grabbed Kouki and Soi's hands and squeezed tightly. We were going on a family trip and I know that it's going to be so much fun! Kouki and I should break the rules more often.

"But Hokague-sensei, can we do that," Soi asked. "I know the war just ended, but there so much damage left. There are small villages that need our help to rebuild and many other things need to be done."

"There are more than enough shinobi to help with that. I think this is a good opportunity for the three of you and you should take it."

Soi nodded silently, but I knew she didn't want to go. She wanted to help rebuild broken villages, which was admirable, but she needed to start spending more time with her brothers and less time worry about other people. Ever since Kakashi got out of the hospital, she's been spending all of her time with him. She hardly trains with us and when she does, she's daydreaming about him. I know it annoyed Kouki, but it was starting to annoy me too.

"But what about Kouki? His mother just died. Shouldn't he have time to grieve?"

"I can grieve during training," Kouki replied quickly as he continued to fake his sadness. I did my best not to smirk at his act. I have known him for way to long to know when he's faking and when he's not. Anyone could see that he didn't like his mother and that the only reason he's pretending to be hurt is to get closer to Soi. And I don't blame him considering how much time she's been spending with that silver haired jerk. "I don't want to be anywhere near the house and being with you guys always makes me feel better."

The Hokague and our teachers gave him a look of pity, which I almost cracked up at. They were buying it. What idiots.

"The three of you can go pack. Meet at the gate in an hour," Tsunade-sensei ordered with authority, as she seemed to forget her moment of pity.

The three of us bowed silently and left.

The moment we left the office Soi gave Kouki a swift kiss on the cheek before she practically ran out of the building.

"Soi, hold on," I said as Kouki and I ran after her. Kouki grabbed her hand to stop her, which she did, but as she turned around to glare at us, I kinda wanted him to let her go, yet there was still much sadness in her eyes.

"Where did you two go," she asked in a hushed, but harsh tone. Kouki and I exchanged worried looks, wordlessly debating if we should tell her.

"We just went camping," I said honestly. It really was the truth, except we went camping in a bunker in a different country.

"Then why didn't you ask for time off like normal people? Do you have any idea how suspicious this looks? If the other shinobi villages caught wind of what you're doing, they would think that the Hokague cannot control his shinobi."

"We shouldn't talk about this now," I said as I quickly darted my eyes between her and Kouki, hoping she would pick up on the hint.

Thankfully she did. She let out a heavy sigh, apologies sincerely, and gave him a big hug. "I'm so, so sorry for your loss, my love. Let's stop by the graveyard before we leave to say goodbye."

Kouki squeezed her tight and said, "thank you," before releasing her. Had I not known him so well, I would've actually believed his performance. It annoys me a little bit that Soi doesn't see through it. She should know him as well as I do by now. Well, she would if she wasn't spending so much time fawning of Kakashi.

/\/\

Soi's POV  
The walk home felt longer than it ever had before. My heart bled a river of tears and sorrow for my brother. I had only met his mother a few times, but her passing felt like the world had fallen on my shoulders. Yet even in my grief, I couldn't imagine how Kouki must be feeling. The thought of losing my mom is maddening, but he had actually lost his.

But as much as I felt bad for him, I was equally as angry with him as well. Ichirou too. Where were they going and why wouldn't they tell me? What could possibly be so important that they are constantly leaving the village? I'm sure the Hokague would have no problem granting them leave if they just asked.

No one was home when I arrived. Strange, considering there is usually at least one person here at all times, but it didn't bother me much. Kakashi was well enough to be left alone, so I didn't have to worry about him as much anymore.

My first stop was his room, to see if he was home, before I left. Although his eye had gotten much better, mainly thanks to the mandatory training from the Uchihas and proper medication, but he still hasn't moved back to his apartment. It's not that I cared. Actually, I prefer it this way. This way we can keep an eye on him and help him if anything were to happen.

His room was empty, but I knew he was close. The sound of dripping water coming from his bathroom signaled this. As I waited for him to come out, I took a little stroll around his room.

Several of Jiraiya-sensei's pervy books lay on his nightstand, all of them having some sort of get well not just inside the cover. It's not like I was judging, I read them too. They were ridiculous as all hell, but they were still entertaining. I just never thought of Kakashi as the kind of person to enjoy them.

I moved to sit on his bed waiting for him to return. I knew he knew I was here because I heard his light chuckle as the water from the shower turned off.

"Most people knock when entering another person's room," Kakashi's familiar voice rang as he emerged from his bathroom. The steam rolled out after him as he walked to his dresser door to take out some clothes. A towel was tied around his hips, a few stray drops of water dripped from his silver hair, a few strays of which hid his new eye. I had the overwhelming urge to mess that pretty hair of his, but I managed to restrain myself.

"It's my house. Why should I knock?"

"What if I was naked?"

"You are…more or less."

Kakashi chuckled softly before heading back to the bathroom. He was in there a few minutes before returning in black shorts and a dark green shirt. His towel was wrapped around his neck, water still falling on it. He grabbed his forehead protector before coming to sit next to me. He raised the band, but I stopped him when it was several inches from his face.

"Let me have a look," I sad softly.

He didn't argue as he put the band at his side. I pushed back a few stray strands of silver hair and placed my hands on either side of his face. His one open eye looked at me as I examined him.

"The scar has healed very nicely. Open up and let me see your eye."

"No," he said softly as he looked away, freeing his face from my grasp. I knew the topic of his eye was tricky for him, but he would have to learn to live with it one day. He might as well start now.

"Don't be afraid. I want to see it." I sympathize with his fears. I was the same way with my kekkei genkai for the longest time. Not being in complete control is a terrifying thing, but he will never learn how to use it without practice outside of what the Uchihas were teaching him. "You wont hurt me."

"Soi-"

"Put as much faith in yourself as you did to me when we first met." Kakashi looked back at me with a captivating gaze. Slowly, he opened his left eye. A bright red orb with three intricate black designs looked back at me. "How does it feel?"

"Fine."

"How is your sight?"

"Fine."

I rolled me eyes at his lifeless answer before leaning away. I was satisfied with the examination and allowed him to put his protector on. "How is your training going? And if you say fine, I'm going to punch you."

Kakashi's chuckled lightly as he put on his band. "The Uchihas are unpleasant to work with, but I'm getting there."

"Good," I said sweetly.

We were both silent for a moment, which usually doesn't bother me, but the stillness gave me time to think. Anko's words came rushing back to me like lightning crashing to Earth. I could hear my inner Anko screaming, "This is your chance! Tell him."

"What's on your mind," Kakashi asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, um…nothing."

"You face says otherwise. Tell me."

Damn it! Why does he have to be so observant? "It's nothing."

"I thought you didn't like liars."

Damn it! He got me there. "Ok…fine." I took several deep, long breaths to steady myself. This is it. I'm going to do what Anko said. I'm actually…I'm going to tell him how I feel. If I don't freak out first.

/\/\

"Kakashi…I need to tell you something." It wasn't the fact that Soi's voice was low as she spoke or even that there was a faint blush on her cheeks that caught Kakashi's attention. It was the fact that she hesitated. She only ever hesitated when she was thinking or trying to keep herself calm, but the way she spoke and her body language did not back up the first two options. He watched as she closed her eyes, inhaled, and let out a slow and steady breath before opening her eyes and looking at him. "I like you."

"I like you, too," he replied flatly. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"No, not like that. I mean I…I really like you, a lot. As in, much more than just a friend." Soi's dark eyes searched his one visible eye for an answer, any answer. When she didn't receive one, she took that as her cue to continue. "It started when I found out what happened to you and Obito, I think. Or that's when I realized it." Just the thought of that day made Soi start to choke up even more. She was far from tears, but the quiver in her voice became much more noticeable. "At that moment I…I couldn't think. I could move. I couldn't do anything. I was…so scared of not ever being able to see you again, that you might not make it. Not being able to pick on you, annoy you, and definitely not being able to talk to you. I can't say that this feeling I have is love, because I've never felt this before, but I know it's something stronger than friendship and something that I don't want to lose." For a second time Kakashi did not respond. To Soi, his silence was much more painful than any form of rejection. "Please say something."

The dark, beautiful eyes that Kakashi was looking into were like a storm. There was hope, worry, confusion, and fear. Fear being something that he had never seen in her eyes. But all of that did not help how he was feeling and what he knew he had to do. Or at least, what he thought he had to do. "I can't," he said calmly, but with some authority. He noticed Soi's breath caught in her lungs at the sound of those two little words. He watched her carefully as he noticed her chest stopped moving. "We can't."

There was a brief, uncomfortable pause between the two as they stared each other down.

"Why," she asked. Her voice did not hold any ounce of anger or sadness, which a person normally would have. Instead, she was trying desperately to act liker her typical self. Her goal was not to know why and to hide her heartbreak. "At least tell me that. If you don't like me like that, it's fine, but at least give me a straight answer."

Kakashi could normally have any type of conversation and keep his cool. However, this wasn't a typical conversation. He was about to tell the girl he loved a lie, something that he'd never done before. He looked away from her and sighed. "I don't feel the same way."

"Bullshit, try again," she replied flatly. His eyes quickly snapped back at her. She looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and hurt. She had caught him in a lie and wasn't pleased. "I know that you're lying to me, so how about telling me the truth."

"How did you know I was lying?"

"Because you looked away. You never do that." Soi balled her hands into tight fists and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The one thing she hated most in the world was a liar and Kakashi knew that. Yet here he was, sitting in front of her and doing it anyway. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just lie to me and will give you a second chance. Now, how about a real answer."

"Fine," Kakashi half yelled as he got up and stood in the center of the room. He took several deep breaths in order to stay calm, but they weren't helping much. Everything about the situation was wrong. She has just confessed her feelings to him and he was shooting her down when all he wanted to do was hold her and tell her the same, but he knew he couldn't. "We're shinobi, Soi. If we were going to be together, we would have to stop being shinobi and that is something neither of us want. I worry about you every time you're not around. I wonder how dangerous your missions are and if you can handle them. I wonder if you're taking care of yourself and not doing something stupid. My mind is going a million miles a minute and it's all because of you." Kakashi rolled his head back and looked at the ceiling. His voice had risen throughout his little speech; his plan of trying to keep calm was slipping through your fingers. "Sometimes, I can't concentrate because I can't stop thinking about you and that can't keep happening. As shinobi, we don't have the luxury of being distracted." Finally, he turned back to where she sat and looked at her. She looked confused as she tried to keep up with what he was saying, but more than anything, she was hurt and she couldn't hide it. Not from him. "If one of us were a citizen, I would jump at the chance of being with you, but you and I both know that neither of us would function as civilians."

The air went still as their silence filled the room. Neither of them wanting to break the silence as they stared at each other. It wasn't until Soi finally found her voice did the erratic emotions between the two started to pick up again. "That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard," she said flatly. "You are the biggest idiot I have ever met." Soi's voice started off steady, but is slowly started to pick up in pitch and pace. "Are you kidding me? Seriously, this has to be a joke."

"I'm not joking."

"Then you need to get your fucking head examined!" That was the obvious clue that she was really angry. Soi only cursed if she was angry enough to break something, which is probably a good idea that she had her hands in the position that they were in now. It kept them both safe.

"Soi, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! You just admitted to me that you liked me, but you're saying no to a relationship because you worry about me. Kakashi, when I first realized that I had feelings for you, I got scared too. I have never felt this way about someone and it frightened me. All I could think about was you leave me and not wanting to be my friend anymore. It was like the time I hurt you with my kekkai genkai all over again. Then it hit me that you didn't leave me then, so chances were you weren't going to leave me now."

"I'm not going to leave you because we're not starting anything." Soi rolled her eyes and shot up from her seat. Her arms fell to her sides as she tried to brush passed him, but he grabbed her. His hand gripped her forearm as he pulled her close, making sure she knew he wasn't going to let her go so easily. He also knew what sometimes happens when she gets really angry, but he didn't care. "Soi, please try to understand."

"No," she said as she yanked herself free from his grasp. She glared at him straight in the eye as her anger got the better of her. "Your reason of us not being together is because we're both shinobi and you worry about me too much, but reason for us not being together is exactly the reason why we should. There are tons of shinobi couples who do this every day." Soi took a second, took a deep breath, held it, and slowly let it out. "We're shinobi, Kakashi. Our lives are filled with pain and death. So much so that we are not guaranteed tomorrow and our next breath might be our last. With lives like that, we should be taking what happiness we can, whenever we can." Soi tore her eyes away from him as she realized how angry she was. She could feel the all too familiar buzz in her fingertips, the internal itch of wanting to destroy something flooding her body.

Soi looked back up at him again, this time much calmer than before after she took another long breath. Kakashi could see the pain he had caused. Her body was tense and ridged, her face was flat, but her eyes were filled with overwhelming sadness. She pulled away from him and started for the door, this time he didn't try to stop her. It was killing him inside, watching her walk away from him, but he had to let her go. The farther she was away from him, the quicker he could go back to being his old self.

Soi's elegant fingers grasped the doorknob, but hesitated on opening the door. She let out one final sigh before looking over her shoulder, giving the boy before her one final look. "I'm leaving for a while with Kouki and the others to go…somewhere. I'll see you when I get back."

As Kakashi watched her walk out the door he felt his heart go with her. Maybe if he had met her earlier in his life, before he realized his natural ability as a shinobi or she had stopped being a shinobi like her mother wanted her to, then they could be together, but he knew them both well enough to know that was never going to happen. Instead, he'd have to watch her from afar and hope that she'd forget her feelings for him.

/\/\

Soi left her house without another word. Instead, she left a note saying that she and the others would be gone for some time and that no one was to worry. She purposely left out how long.

After packing, she quickly ran to the graveyard. Kouki and Ichirou were already there. Her violet-eyed love wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her close. His head rested on the top of hers.

As they stood silent in front of the grave of the beautiful woman who was taken from the world too early, Soi couldn't help the sting of tears that began to rise in her eyes. The pain she felt for Kouki mixed with her heartbreak of Kakashi was more than her heart could take. Kouki felt her body begin to tremble as her tears began to flow more heavily.

"Don't cry, my lovely," he said softly as he squeezed her tighter. "She wouldn't want you to cry."

"I-I know," she choked out as she tried to rid herself of the salty waters. "I'm s-sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He kissed the top of her head gingerly before pulling back. His graceful fingers roamed over her flushed cheeks to help eradicate her tears, but as he did so, he noticed something else in her eyes. Something that wasn't there earlier that day. "What's wrong," he asked softly. He held her face in his hands and examined her closely. "What happened?"

Ichirou now stood closely at his sister's side. He too began to examine her and saw the same thing Kouki saw. "What's wrong, sister?"

Soi looked away from them, which further worried them. She was not the type to turn away from anything. "Nothing, just…forget it. We need to start towards the gate," she said as she tried to dismiss the conversation.

"No, we're going to talk about this," Kouki said softly, yet sternly. "What happened?"

Soi brought her eyes back up and looked between her brothers. "I…I did something stupid."

/\/\

AN: Don't forget to leave comments.


	29. Welcome Home

AN: I'M BACK! Finally. I made this chapter to long to sorta…kinda make up for my absence.

Just to keep up with the time line after the training Soi is now 13 and everyone else is 15 or 16.

"Spoken" _Thought/Flashback/Dream_ **Writing**

Unexpected Ch. 26 – Welcome Home

It had been a year to the day and Konoha looked no different to Team 9. The crowded dirt streets teemed with life and warm summer sun forced the residence to walk around in shorts and T-shirts. Birds sang their songs as they flew through the cloudless sky and the leaves that flowed in the light wind added some rhythm to their tune.

"It's good to be home," Soi said happily as she stretched her arms over her head, a few cracking sounds coming from her shoulders, before bringing them back to her sides as she and the others walked through the Great Gates.

"You said it," Ichirou said just a cheerfully. "I can't wait to take a nap."

Kouki and Soi smirked at their hyper friend.

"We just got back and the first thing you want to do is take a nap," Kouki asked.

"We've been in the snow for a year. I'd like to take nap in the sun."

"That's not a bad idea," Soi said as she ponders the thought. The idea of bathing in the sunlight seemed like the perfect way to start their return. "Do you guys wanna come over and nap in the back yard with me?" The two boys at her side gave her a look that said, "What do you think," but in a cheerful way. "Ok then, lets go."

"Not so fast," Jiraiya said in a playful, yet authoritative manner. "We have to tell the Hokague that we're back."

"Can we put our stuff away first and then go see him," Ichirou asked. Jiraiya looked between his students, each of them give him their best puppy-eye looks.

"Alright," his said as he let out a defeated sigh. "I'll meet you there, but don't take too long." His students smiled up at him brightly before dashing off towards the Catsuko home. He chuckled under his breath and shook his head as he headed to the Hokague's Tower. It amazed him how quick a team's dynamic changed with just one year of training.

/\/\

The three young shinobi practically knocked down the front door of the large house as they barreled into the house. The smell of fresh apple pie and the chatter of the homeowners brought a sense of nostalgia to them. After twelve long months they were home.

"I'm back," Soi yelled as she and her brothers ran to the kitchen. Gina, Chiasa, and Jiro sat at on high bar stools at the island in the center of the kitchen, each of them had a slice of pie in front of them. Before her mother had time to turn around to greet her daughter, Soi wound her long arms around her mother's neck and pulled her tight. "Hi, momma."

"Hi, baby," Gina replied happily. She wiggled out of her daughter's strong grip, turned in her seat, and gave the curly haired girl a proper hug. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." Soi hugged her mother tight before letting go and hugging her aunt and uncle. As she made her rounds Gina made sure to show Kouki and Ichirou the same amount of love.

After everyone had gotten their hugs and words of affection, it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

"So, tell us about your trip. What did you guys do," Chiasa asked as she took a bite of her pie.

"Can we tell you later? We have to go to the Hokague's Tower," Soi said.

"But you just got home."

"I know, but we have to give our reports. We'll be right back after that."

Gina and Chiasa looked annoyed at Soi's request, but Jiro understood. "Let them go," he said with a chuckle as he looked at his cousin's faces. "They have work to do and she said they'll be right back."

Gina glared at her cousin, but nodded anyway. She knew being a shinobi was her daughter's first priority. "Fine, but get your butts back here the second you're done." Her voice was authoritative and a tiny bit scary, enough so for the Soi, Kouki, and Ichirou to take her threat seriously.

Without another word, the three shinobi left the kitchen, dashed up the stairs, and darted to Soi's room, but as they passed Kakashi's room Soi froze in place. The boys, who had been ahead of her, continued running down the hall and didn't notice that Soi wasn't with them any longer.

The door to Kakashi's room was slightly open, but it was enough for Soi to see that Kakashi no longer lived there. The nightstand no longer had Jiraiya's books or his team's photo on it. If those two things were gone, than so was he. There was a slight pain in Soi's heart at the sight of the empty room, but she quickly banished it. She forced herself to remember the events of the past year and reminded herself that she didn't need him. That she could survive and become a legendary ninja without him.

After taking a steady breath and focusing her thoughts on the future, Soi dashed down the hall to her room. When she got there she found Ichirou lounging on her bed and Kouki looking through her bookshelf. "You read Jiraiya-sensei's books," the violet-eyed boy asked with a chuckle.

"Sometimes," Soi replied as she tried to hide her smile. "It's just to get to know our teacher better."

"Sure it is."

Soi rolled her eyes and smiled as she let her camping bag slide from her back and fall to the floor. Without so much as a second glance she exited the room and started for the front door. She wanted to head to the Tower as quickly as she could so she could go take a nap.

Kouki took a random book off the shelf and threw it at Ichirou, who was too busy relaxing on the bed to notice Soi's departure. The book landed in the center of Ichirou's chest, instantly snapping back into reality. The blond shot his head up and looked at his friend quizzily. Kouki nodded for the door before walking to it. Ichirou caught on to his friend's lead and started to leave as well.

/\/\

The warm sun caused the three of the to pause when they got outside. They still weren't use to the feeling, but welcomed the change.

"I've really missed this," Ichirou said happily.

"Me too," Kouki and Soi said in unison.

The three of them stood in silence for a few minutes, simply soaking up the sun, when Ichirou broke the silence and said, "race you," before taking off.

Soi and Kouki, slightly miffed that their brother got a head started, quickly followed after him. They took to the trees and roofs of the village. As they jumped from platform to platform their footsteps barely touched any solid surface for more than a second. The wind whipped through their hair as they leapt elegantly across the village.

Within minutes the three of them, almost simultaneously, landed gracefully outside of the Hokague's Tower. Ichirou beat them by a mere two seconds.

"You're such a cheater," Soi said through a chuckle as she tried to glare at Ichirou.

The blond boy's face twisted into what could only be described as a poor attempt to fake being hurt. "How could you say such a thing?"

"Because it's true," Kouki added with a smile as he walked into the tower, closely followed by Soi.

"You guys really know how to hurt my feelings."

The trio continued to make small talk as they made their way to the Hokague's office. It had been a year since the last time they had walk through the halls of the great tower and they each silently hopped that this time would be different than all the other times they were called before the great leader of Konoha.

Once the door had come into view Soi said a quick silent prayer. She prayed that after walking through that door that things would change for the better. After being alone with her team and teachers for a year, she saw a clear change happening between them. It was like someone had hit the restart button on their relationship. Kouki and Ichirou had lost a good amount of their snippy attitude towards their superiors and Soi remembered how good it felt to be with her brothers. There were days when things were terrible, when all they wanted to do was kill each other, but then there were days when the sky was the limit and their happiness and love could be felt from miles around.

_Flashback:  
The night sky was dark and filled with a thick layer of clouds. It was rare for the Snow Country to have a cloudless sky, which was a big change for Soi and the boys. They were use to sunshine during the day and clear skies at night. Now they were forced to live in a land filled with snow and almost below zero degree winds for an entire year._

_It had only been two weeks into the yearlong training mission, but things were still tense between the young shinobi. Jiraiya, Tsunade and Adatta had retired to their individual tents for the night. It was almost midnight only half of the team was able to dream. _

_Kouki, Ichirou and Soi remained wide-awake in their shared tent. Kouki was angry about an argument he had with Tsunade earlier in the day, Ichirou's mind was racing with thoughts of how bad his team has gotten and Soi couldn't stop thinking about her last conversation with Kakashi._

"_I'm going for a run," Soi said out of the blue as she wiggled out of her. She knew that the others were awake and, even though Tsunade wasn't around, followed her sensei's orders and informed her teammates to what she was doing. One of the rules Tsunade and the others put into place when the training started was that the three of them were to always stay together as much as possible but tell each other where they were going if they were to ever wonder off._

_Ichirou shot up and watched as Soi slipped on her snow gear. "But we're supposed to stay together," he said in a hushed but worried tone._

"_Then come with me," she snapped._

"_Just go to sleep, Soi," Kouki groaned. _

"_Don't tell me what to do, Kouki," she snapped again._

"_Guys, please," Ichirou begged. "Let's not fight." The blond looked between his friends and started to feel ill. He understood why Kouki was upset, but he didn't know why Soi was so angry. She had been snapping at them since training started and they didn't know why. Before they left the village Soi had confessed to them that she had done something stupid, but never explained what. Her brother's assumed that whatever her problem was happened to do with that, but they were quickly getting fed up with her attitude. "Maybe a run is exactly what we need."_

_Soi didn't wait for a reply from Kouki. She unzipped the entrance to the tent and stepped out. Ichirou, who gave Kouki a quick worried look, quickly put on his winter clothes and dashed out of the tent behind her. The two took off into the snow covered trees without looking back, leaving their violet-eyed friend alone. Kouki sat in the tent for a while, contemplating if he should let them go and try to get some sleep, but his commitment to fixing their damaged relationship got the better of him and followed._

_It didn't take Kouki long to catch up to his teammates. The chilly night air nipped against his face, making the run uncomfortable. Snow began to fall making it even more annoying. _

_Half an hour into the run the trio came upon a small frozen crystal lake that they had trained at earlier that day. It was the same spot Kouki had had his blowout with Tsunade._

_Soi stepped out onto the ice gracefully. The frozen water was so thick that she didn't have to worry about falling in. She slid on the slick surface effortlessly, allowing the cold air to envelop her. Normally she hated being cold, but she welcomed the chill. It helped take her mind away from more depressing matters._

_Ichirou and Kouki watch their sister skate from their place on the side of the lake. They didn't know if she would bark at them if they joined her or if she would welcome their company._

_After deciding that he was a big boy and could put up with Soi's wrath, Ichirou was the second one to step out onto the ice. He wanted to skate too, so he did. To his pleasant surprise Soi didn't snap. She kept to herself and continued to skate._

_Kouki continued to watch for a while. Normally Soi was as happy and care free as Ichirou, but her body language and her lack of energy told a different story. Even in training she was distant. Tsunade, Jiraiya and Adatta all commented on that fact, but they couldn't bring her out of her slump._

_Even though he was angry, even though he thought truly hated being stuck in a frozen icebox of a country he still had warmth in his heart._

_He walk out onto the ice and made his way to his friends. Soi and Ichirou were skating a few feet away from each other and he made his way in between them. He turned his head to the right and looked at Ichirou. He marveled at his friend's ability to find joy in the smallest things. Then he turned to look at Soi. Normally she would be smiling from ear to ear as she skated around. Now she looked like there was nothing in her. No happiness, no sadness. Nothing. But he knew, deep down under the emotionless face of hers was storm. And in that moment, that cold and bitter moment, he realized that he hit rock bottom._

_Kouki inhaled deeply, held the cold air in his lungs for a few moments and then slowly exhaled. _

"_I'm sorry," he said softly. His low apology hit the two skaters like a ton of bricks. They stopped their aimless twirling about and gave their full attention to Kouki. "I didn't mean for things to get this bad." Kouki looked at Ichirou with all the love for his brother he could muster. "I'm sorry, Ichi. I didn't mean for you to worry about our team so much. It's unfair to you." Then he turned to Soi and almost broke completely. "Soi…I'm sorry for everything I've said and done over the years. A lot of the tings I have done were unfair to you and I'm truly sorry for constantly making you crazy."_

"_I'm sorry, too," Ichirou added. He took a few steps closer to Soi and captured her in his tight embrace. "I'm sorry that we worried you a lot when we would leave the village. We didn't mean to scare you."_

_It took Soi a few moments for their apologies to sink in, but she slowly wrapped her arms around Ichirou's neck and hugged him back. "Thank you, Ichi," she whispered. Soi squeezed him tightly before giving Kouki the same type of affection. Kouki could fell the love that had been hidden for the past two weeks slowly start to resurface. After she gave her other brother a hug she took a step back. "I'm sorry too for being so snippy lately. I don't mean to take out my…I'm sorry."_

"_That's what I want to talk about next," Kouki said as he outstretched his hand and gentle held Soi's in his. "Something has been up with you and you need to tell us what is it," he said softly but sternly._

_Soi looked down at the dark ice below her feet, completely dejected. Kouki could see her retreating within herself, something that was completely out of character for her and it drove him crazy. _

"_It…it's not something I want you guys to worry about," Soi said softly. "I can deal with. I promise."_

_Ichirou lightly grabbed her other hand and bent down to rest his chin on her shoulder, peaking up at her through his long lashes. "But that's not the point. We're here for you. We're always here for you and you shouldn't be going through…whatever your problem is by yourself."_

"_You always use to tell us your problems," Kouki added as he squeezed her hand. "Tell us what's bothering you now and let us help you."_

_Soi could feel their sincerity and it broke her heart. When was it exactly that she stopped telling them everything? When did she stop going to them for advice? When was it that she withdrew from her team and started seeking salvation elsewhere?_

_Hot tears started to glaze over her eyes, but they didn't fall. Soi's head fell to the side and rested on Ichirou's. "It's…I…I'm just an idiot," she said weakly. She squeezed her brothers' hands tightly as she struggled to find the words she needed to say. "I think I ruined a friendship."_

_Kouki and Ichirou remained silent as the waited for Soi to continue. They could visibly see Soi's internal struggle and it pained them to know end to see her struggle._

"_I…I told Kakashi that I love him." A single tear fell from Soi's face, a sight that would be forever engraved in Kouki and Ichirou's hearts. "He told me he loved me too, more or less, but…but he said we can't be together because we're both shinobi."_

"_What," Ichirou said in a harsh tone as his head snapped up. It was rare for the blond to get upset, but it was very clear by the heated look in his eyes that that he was truly angry. "What does that have to do with anything? There are tons of shinobi couples not just in our village but every village."_

"_Try telling that to him."_

_Kouki remained silent. Hearing Soi say that she was in love with the one person he hated most in the world almost killed him but the only thing that kept his heart beating was the knowledge that Kakashi turned her down. It pained him to see her as broken as she was but there was a small sliver of hope. Kakashi had given him a golden opportunity. With time, Kouki would make his way into that section of Soi's heart that he had been aiming for since the day she first walked into his classroom in the academy all those years ago. He could stop being her beloved brother and turn into her one true love. All he had to do was wait._

"_I'm sorry he hurt you, Soi," Kouki said in a very convincing sympathetic voice as he pulled her into a one armed hug before gripping Ichirou's hand and pulling him in as well. "I'm truly, truly sorry but we're here for you." He squeezed his two closest friends a little tighter to emphasize his words. "We love, Soi, and we'll always be here. No matter what, we'll always be together."_

"_Yep yep," Ichirou added as he squeezed his brother and sister tightly._

_Soi giggled a heartfelt giggle, something she hadn't done in weeks, as she hugged her brothers back. Her heart was still broken, but she fetl the old Soi slowly start coming back. "I love you guys so much."_

"_We love you too."_

_The trio continued to hug each other while three onlookers watch from their hiding place in the trees._

"_I told you this would be good for them," Jiraiya said in a smug voice. Adatta smiled brightly and Tsunade rolled her eyes at Jiraiya's comment. "Come on, guys. Admit that I was right."_

"_You were right," Adatta said proudly._

"_I'm going to bed," Tsunade groaned sleepily as she darted back towards camp._

"_I'm going to take that as a, 'good job, Jiraiya,'" the white haired Sage said as he too started back to camp._

_Adatta remained behind for a little while long. He watched the three young shinobi with hope and began to remince about his old team. They were close but not nearly as close as Soi's team was. He could visibly see the love between his daughter and friends and it filled his heart with joy._

_But his happy moment was interrupted by a violent coughing fit. His hand instantly flew to cover his mouth. He had gotten sick a month prior to the training mission and it was slowly getting worse. Sometimes he would cough for ten minutes at a time non-stop. Other times parts of his body would be hit with an indescribable amount of pain before that pain disappeared without a trace._

_When Adatta took his hand away he was hit with an unpleasant surprise. His black winter glove wave covered with a dark liquid. Even in the dark, moonless night he knew what it was. _

"_Damnit," he whispered to himself. He looked back at his daughter and smiled slightly before returning to camp.  
End Flashback_

Soi knocked on the Hokage's door and waited for a reply. She opened the door and entered when she heard him say, "come in," from the other side of the door.

Jiraiya and the Hokague turned their attention to Soi and the others as they stepped into the office. The Hokage smiled brightly as he silently studied the young fighters.

"I can already see the difference in you," the Hokage said. "I'm happy to know that your training has paid off."

"I'd say so," Soi replied with a wide smile on her face.

"Good. I'm very happy to hear that."

For the next half hour Jiraiya and his team debriefed the Hokage about what they had done over the past year. The team grew not just as individuals but also as a team and every word made the Hokage's heart weep with hope. Before they left he had heavily considered suspending Ichirou and Kouki permanently but after what he has just heard he sent many of those thoughts to the back of his mind.

After hearing the report it was time for the less pleasant news. Kouki's home had been cleared out a week after they left. All of the furniture and other things were put into storage and waited for Kouki's attention. The Hokage had kept an apart open for the young boy in one of the many apartment complexes that many young shinobi stay in when they are put in the same or similar situation.

Over the previous year Kouki had gotten better at his acting skills. He had show the stages of grief over the loss of his mother and did a phenomenal job on hiding his excitement that no one caught on to the fact that his mother's death was far from being an accident.

With a few encouraging words the Hokage sent the team on their way but asked Jiraiya to stay behind. Team 9 would report to his office in three days for a mission. The sooner they got back into the swing of things, the better.

Instead of rushing back to the Catsuko household Soi and her brother's leisurely walked down the dirt streets of their beloved village. Each of them took in the familiar sights and sounds of Konoha. The sounds of the people chatting about idle topics and the familiar 'wooshing' sound of shinobi running around.

The trio was continent with their lazy stroll but their moment of peace was interrupted when Soi was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.

"Our flower has returned," Guy said as he shouted to the heavens and hugged Soi to him tightly, making them the center of attention to all of the on lookers.

"No fair, Guy. You're too freakin' fast," Anko yelled as she ran to his side and glared at him. She grabbed his arms and tried to pry her friend free but he had the curly haired girl locked in an iron grip. "Let her go. It's my turn."

Guy gently put Soi down just her have her swooped up in another hug by Anko.

Soi, who was quickly becoming breathless from constantly being squeezed, chuckled at her friends. "I'm going to guess that you guys missed me."

"Like crazy," Anko replied as she released her friend. "You can't even guess what my life was like without you. Being stuck with Iruka and the others just…never leave me again."

Soi giggled at her friend's over dramatization of her life without the explosive girl. She had missed her friend just as much as Anko missed her. "I missed you too." She turned her head, looked up at Guy and smiled. "Both of ou."

"Uh, what about us," Genma's sarcastic voice rang as he, Asuma, Iruka, Kurenai and Kakashi walked towards them. "Because if Anko and Guy were the only ones you missed then-"

Before Genma could finish Soi darted to his side. Genma was taken back from a moment, slightly stunned at her speed. He had forgotten just how fast she was and started wonder if she had gotten faster.

"Of course I missed your pretty face," Soi said with a bright smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. "After all, it is your only redeeming quality."

"Haha," he chuckled as he gingerly hugged her back before releasing her to give her the opportunity to hug the others. "By the way," he added as looked between Guy and Anko. "Ditching us without a word like that, not ok."

"But I-"

"We," Anko said as she quickly interrupted Guy.

"We saw Soi."

"And you couldn't have informed the rest of us? We had to follow you."

Soi chuckled to herself as she watch the three of her friend's converse amongst themselves. She missed their silliness and constant playful banner.

Kouki and Ichirou watched silently as Soi made her rounds around her group of friends. Ichirou smiled at he watch his sister. Her happiness was infectious and it definitely showed on his face. Kouki stood stoic and simply watched as Soi showered the others with affection. However, his lips did twitch up slightly as he watched Soi as she hugged Kakashi. Before their bonding trip watching her with him would've driven him crazy but now he knew that no matter what, she would come back to him.

When it was Kakashi's turn to receive Soi's love, Soi didn't miss a beat. She smiled at him just as did the other and gave him a heart-warming hug. Her long eyes wrapped around him as they had done for the others and she pulled him close. Kakashi reciprocated the motion; they embraced for a few second and then Soi pulled away. Once she was finished Soi took a few steps back and took her place in between her brothers, Kouki smiled down at her as she did so.

Kakashi didn't know what to expect when he saw Soi again, but he wasn't expecting what had just happened. Before she left her hugs were filled with nothing but love even when she was angry. He can't say what his friends got but his hug seemed distant, almost robotic. There was a little something there but he couldn't tell what it was.

Secretly, he was overjoyed when he woke up that morning. He had counted down the days to her return and the end of her training couldn't come quick enough. Even though he knew that things between them would probably never be the same, that didn't change how he felt about.

His love for her grew every minute of every day that she was gone. Not seeing her beautiful dark eyes, not hearing melodic laughter, hell not being able to argue with her was driving him insane. Everywhere he went held some memory of her. No matter where he went he couldn't escape the memories of her. She was in the corner, the training grounds, the Hokague's Tower and tons of other places throughout the village.

It got so bad that he left the Catsuko house much earlier that Gina wanted him to. He couldn't stand being a place where she wasn't and living with her family was a constant reminder of her absence. Gina tried to persuade him to stay, but understood why he couldn't.

Gina had acted as a surrogate mother for Kakashi for years, but the two became very close after Soi left. She loved him just as much as she did her two children and she made sure that he knew it. They had talked from everything from the weather, to Sakumo's suicide, to Kakashi's deep feelings for Soi. It took the silver haired boy a while to open up to her about those things but felt to have someone to talk to while Soi was away.

It didn't surprise too much when Kakashi told her about his feelings. In fact, she could understand it. As much as she secretly hoped that Kakashi and Soi would eventually end up together, she also always worried about her daughter falling in love with a shinobi. She hated her daughter living the life her father lived but she also feared what heartache would come with loving someone in the same profession. They would constantly worry about each other and both of them would continuously be in high-risk situations. Although she never said it part of her believed that the situation the two were in was for the best.

But no matter how much he missed her, not matter how strongly he felt for her, Kakashi refused to change his mind about what he had told her one year ago. The two shinobi will only be friends. Nothing else will ever happen between them.

Soi seemed to almost forget about Kakashi when she went to stand between Kouki and Ichirou, a fact that didn't escape his notice. She wasn't purposely ignoring him, but she wasn't as attentive to him as she normally was. Another thing that didn't escape him expertly trained eye was that there was absolutely no tension between Soi and the boys. It didn't strike him as a bad thing that they were back on good terms but he was skeptical about just how much Kouki and Ichirou had changed.

"We were headed to the river to hang out since it's rare that we're all together. You guys want to come," Anko asked.

"No thank you," Soi replied in her typical pleasant voice. "We're going to head back to the house and hang out for a bit but I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Everyone except Guy, Anko and Kakashi took Soi's excuse for what it was, true, but those three knew better. Soi use to constantly advocated that they all should do things together. She always wanted the two groups of her friends to do more together and get along. Before, she would practically fly at the chance to spend some time with her other after a mission but now she was clearly drawing a line. She would spend the day with her team and see her other friends a different day. She was separating the two groups.

"Great," Guy said warmly as he gave Soi one final hug. "I'm truly happy that you're back."

"Me too," Soi replied as she hugged him back. They pulled away and Soi said her goodbyes before she, Kouki and Ichirou started for the Catsuko house.

Iruka, Genma, Asuma and Kurenai chatted amoung themselves about how happy they are that Soi had returned. They were so wrapped up in their talk that they didn't notice that Anko, Guy and Kakashi weren't with them. They stood and watch as Soi and her team retreated in the direction of Soi's home.

"I'm not the only one who felt that that whole situation was off, right," Anko asked flatly.

"No," Guy replied as he let out a pent up sigh of worry that he didn't know he had been holding. "Is this a good or bad thing?"

"Of course it's bad."

"But she didn't treat us differently and it looked like they were happy. I mean, Kouki and Ichirou didn't say anything but she was beaming like that sun. Maybe their time together changed things."

"For the better or worse?"

Kakashi didn't say anything while Guy and Anko talked amongst themselves but her took what they were saying to heart. He was happy that he wasn't the only one that felt that there was something off about Soi and now he was determined to find out what that something was.

/\/\

After chatting with Soi's family for a few hours and having a late lunch Soi and the boys were finally able to take a nap. They laid side by side on a quilt blanket under one of the many trees in the large backyard. Soi and Ichirou fell asleep almost immediately. Their breaths coming out in calming steady rhythms.

Kouki watched over them for a while as they slept before allowed himself to join them but before he did he looked back at everything that had happened in the past year. They had fought and made up. They had cried and laughed but through it all they had grown closer together. Kouki and Ichirou promised to never disobey the Hokage again and Soi promised to spend more time with them. They were a family once again and he was determined to keep that family together.

/\/\

AN: Comments. Comments. Comments. :)


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